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Droughts, unlike earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, are not a sudden hazard event. Instead, their beginning and end are hard to gauge and they can last for months and even years.

Approximately 780 million people worldwide lack a reliable and sufficient water supply. This can have many serious impacts:

• A lack of clean and reliable water can cause people in developing countries to drink contaminated water which could cause a range of diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
• Commercial and subsistence farmers can experience high crop or livestock losses and a reduction in the land's value. Subsistence farmers may experience famine.
• With less moisture and rainfall, wildfires can become common, damaging crops, buildings and even causing death.
• Businesses and services which rely on clean water may be closed, eg hospitals and restaurants.
• Conflicts or war between people and countries can occur when pressure is put on water supplies. It can also lead to people having to migrate away from drought-stricken areas.