How Drought Affects Us All

Back in the ’90s, scientists had already begun warning us: Big changes are coming. On cue, the world watched in horror over the next three decades as the mercury rose, farmlands began to dry out, and unnatural weather patterns prevailed.

Today, climate change is a global phenomenon. No country is safe from at least one consequence. Along the Pacific Coast, for instance, rising sea levels and the rapid degradation of coral reefs have already sounded alarm bells. But too few voices are discussing what could potentially be a bigger challenge: desertification and drought.

At Paso Pacifico, we lead conservation efforts across Mesoamerica. Over the years, we’ve seen the effects of these phenomena on local communities firsthand. And while things are not looking great, we know that there’s a lot we can do. So, this World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, let’s roll up our sleeves and take action.  

What Is World Day To Combat Desertification and Drought?

First, some context. The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought was established in 1994 by a United Nations General Assembly resolution.

The UN believed these two issues would affect nearly all major regions. It urged the international community to come together and address the matter, selecting June 17 as the official day of observance.

Unfortunately, things haven’t improved much since. In 2024, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification found that 40% of the world’s land area was considered “degraded.” This land is responsible for 95% of all our food. The biggest contributors, the body suggested, were a rapidly growing populace, coupled with unsustainable practices, consumption, and demand for natural resources.

The Real Impact of Desertification and Drought

With so many threats to our ecosystem, you may ask, why focus on desertification and drought? The answer is that these two phenomena are deeply tied to human activity while posing an immediate existential threat. 

Unlike the image it conjures, desertification doesn’t simply mean that sand dunes are slowly extending their reach. Instead, it refers to a gradual process of degradation, in which arid or semi-arid land starts to lose its vegetation completely. This includes not just deserts, but also grasslands, prairies, savannahs, and more. Large parts of North and South America, for instance, have hot semi-arid climates that are at risk.

To give you an idea of how bad this could get, it’s said that 5,000 years ago, the Sahara desert was lush. Today, of course, it’s one of the least arable parts of the world.

Drought similarly means more than just less rainfall. Communities across the world have been crippled by droughts brought about by phenomena like El Niño, and La Niña. More recently, human activity, including poor irrigation practices, deforestation, and erosion, has been a bigger contributor.

The best way to combat this threat? Building more wildlife corridors, a mission Paso Pacifico holds close to its heart. Our teams work tirelessly to restore forest cover across the Pacific Slope ecosystems of Mesoamerica. This prevents drought and deforestation. It also protects wildlife, biodiversity, and local communities.

Why Does This Day Matter?

Clearly, desertification and drought don’t just affect dry countries. Still, their impacts are so far-reaching that it’s hard to iterate just how far the ripples spread.

It’s Impacting Food Production and Prices

The world has limited farmland. If these regions can’t produce crops, global food prices rise, and food becomes harder to procure. Rice yields, for example, diminish by 10% for every 1 degree rise in temperature, a natural outcome of droughts. 

It Means Less Water

Desertification and drought naturally indicate water shortages, but they don’t do a good job of explaining just how disastrous they are in the long term. Both outcomes are associated with a decrease in surface overflow, depletion of groundwater, and the drying up of freshwater sources, like rivers and springs. Considering only about 1.2% of the world’s water is drinkable, this is a serious threat in the years to come. 

It Causes Forced Migration

Historically, the best way to deal with a drought has been to move away from it. But this is no longer a sustainable solution. Urban areas are already crippled under the stress of overpopulation. In 2020, 18.2 million people were affected by droughts and deforestation, a number only set to rise.

It Causes Air Pollution 

Healthy land is a carbon sink, as it is known to naturally absorb greenhouse gases. But when this land degrades, it loses that ability. Rather than storing carbon, it releases it back into the atmosphere. As more land becomes barren, the air gets heavier with carbon. What was once a solution becomes part of the problem.

Why Is Mesoamerica So Crucial?

The Pacific Coast, from California to Chile, is under severe threat. It’s a region known for its extensive forests, urban sprawls, and massive coastlines. But the way things are currently going, these may not last. 

Even Mesoamerica is affected. The area is losing trees faster than other parts of the world. It’s an astonishingly beautiful region that includes parts of Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and other Central American countries. It makes up only 0.5% of the world’s total land, but accounts for 7% of its biodiversity. It’s also currently in crisis.

Between 1980 and 1990, it lost land to deforestation at a rate of 1.4% a year. Since then, 80% of the region’s original habitats have degraded. In El Salvador, one of the most drastic examples, less than 5% of the original forest cover remains.

Meanwhile, further north in California, warmer temperatures and drought-like conditions lead to dangerous wildfires year after year. Further south in Chile, a drought lasting 15 years is beginning to seriously impact the country’s Mediterranean forests. Towards the East, the Amazon faced its biggest drought in history in 2023, which a panel later confirmed was the result of human activity.

All these individual factors come together to ruin what was once one of the most fertile regions in the world. That’s why Paso Pacifico has committed itself to turning these statistics around. Help us rebuild Mesoamerica with a small donation.

What Can You Do To Help?

The good news is that change is possible. Even if volunteer work is out of reach,  everyone can contribute by simply making better choices:

• Buy local produce
• Eat less red meat
• Avoid fast fashion
• Buy from trusted brands
• Travel sustainably

At the end of the day, one of the biggest statements you can make is with your wallet. Always make an effort to support good causes and practices over cheap and easy products and services.

Join the Paso Pacifico Mission

One thing we need to understand this World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is that the planet is under an immense threat. This is no longer an issue that should be discussed at the institutional level, but in every home, school, and workplace. At Paso Pacifico, we’re doing our part, restoring and protecting one of the world’s most biodiverse regions. This includes thousands of acres of dry tropical forests, mangrove wetlands, and coral reefs that make up Mesoamerica.We’ve put one foot forward to initiate change. Visit our website to contribute with a small step of your own.