What is a drought?
Q: What is a drought?
A: A drought is a continuous period of dry weather, when an area gets less than its normal amount of rain, over months or even years.
Q: Why are droughts dangerous?
A: Droughts can become dangerous to people and other land animals; causing famine and even creating deserts.
Q: What is the origin of the word "drought"?
A: The word "drought" comes from the Old English drugað, drugoð "drought, dryness, desert," from Proto-Germanic *drugothaz, from Germanic root *dreug- "dry" (cf high/height) with *-itho, Germanic suffix for forming abstract nouns.
Q: What causes droughts?
A: A drought is a natural event, caused by other weather events like El Niño and high-pressure systems. Drought can also be triggered by deforestation, global warming, and by diverting rivers or emptying lakes.
Q: How does drought affect people and animals?
A: Droughts can cause famine and conflicts between people due to the lack of water and crops. Many people die every year in famines due to drought in subsistence farming areas.
Q: How long can the effects of a drought last?
A: The effects of drought often build up slowly over a long period of time and may last from months to years after rain resumes.
Q: What is the potential impact of drought?
A: Drought could become the next pandemic.
