The impacts of droughts can be as varied as the causes of droughts. They can be devastating and costly, affecting society, agriculture and food security, hydropower generation, infrastructure, the economy, and ecosystems.
Droughts are a normal part of the climate, and they can occur in any environment worldwide, even in deserts and rainforests.
Droughts are one of the costliest natural hazards year-to-year and can affect many economic sectors and people anytime. The areas affected by droughts are typically larger than those for other hazards.
No other hazard lends itself so well to monitoring because the slow onset of droughts allows time to observe changes in precipitation, temperature and the overall status of surface water and groundwater supplies in a region. Droughts can be characterized by their severity, location, duration and timing.