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Chapter II Evidence for Global Climate Change

（3）Drought Phenomena and Their Consequences
Meanwhile, other regions have long been plagued by persistent drought conditions,
lacking sufficient rainfall to meet agricultural irrigation demands and maintain ecological
balance. Areas such as the Horn of Africa, the Middle East, and the southwestern United
States have frequently experienced severe droughts in recent years, leading to crop failures,
livestock deaths, and even forcing farmers to abandon their homes. Taking East Africa as
an example, the drought from 2022 to 2023 left nearly 20 million people in the region fac-
ing a food crisis, with thousands of livestock perishing due to water shortages.Drought has
alsotriggered a decline in groundwater levels, exacerbating water scarcity and causing ir-
reversible damage to freshwater-dependent ecosystems such as lakes and wetlands. Under
prolonged drought conditions, the risk of wildfires has surged significantly, further degrading
natural landscapes and biodiversity.
The threat of drought to human health is equally 不容忽视 . Water scarcity leads to
deteriorating sanitary conditions, increasing the risk of disease transmission. Particularly in
developing countries, the lack of clean drinking water has significantly raised the incidence
of waterborne diseases such as cholera and dysentery. Moreover,drought alsoaffects mental
health. Prolonged water stress and agricultural failures may lead to anxiety, depression, and
other psychological issues, imposing additional social pressures on communities.
(4) Socio-economic impacts and responses
The alternating phenomena of heavy rainfall and drought have extensive and profound
impacts on socio-economic dimensions. Agriculture, as one of the most severely affected
industries, faces tremendous uncertainty. Frequent extreme weather events disrupt normal
farming cycles and increase operational risks for farmers. To address this situation, many
countries and regions have begun promoting agricultural insurance systems to provide farm-
ers with economic compensation and mitigate disaster-induced losses. Concurrently, ad-
vancements in agricultural technology offer new pathways to enhance crop stress resistance
and production efficiency. For instance, gene editing technology can develop new crop vari-
eties with improved drought tolerance or flood resistance, helping farmers adapt to evolving
climatic conditions.
The industrial sector is also affected, particularly in water-intensive industries such as
paper manufacturing, textiles, and chemical production. Water scarcity leads to increased
production costs for enterprises and may even force production shutdowns. To address this,
companies need to enhance water resource management and utilization efficiency, explore
circular economy models, and achieve sustainable water resource utilization. Additionally,
the tourism industry has suffered impacts with declining tourist numbers and hotel occu-
pancy rates, subsequently affecting revenue in related service sectors. In this context, tourist
destinations need to adjust marketing strategies and develop new climate-adaptive products/
services to attract visitors back.

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