ELD-UNCCD Global Report on the Economics of Drought

About the project

Drought, a relentless threat to our environment, lives, and economies, is a crisis that cannot be ignored. Major drought events in the past century have claimed the lives of over 10 million people and caused hundreds of billions of USD in economic losses worldwide.

Still, the costs of increased drought are greatly underestimated, leading to inadequate drought preparedness. Despite the clear and present danger, proactive drought management approaches are often lacking, and reactive approaches remain the norm.

ELD-UNCCD Global Report on the Economics of Drought

The ELD Initiative is working together with esteemed partners on a global report that aims to provide vital insights on the economics and politics of drought resilience.

The report will provide data on the costs of inaction and the benefits of proactive drought risk management. Through the application of nature-based solutions in eight case studies, the report intends to make a business case for ex ante drought management. Supported by a theoretical socio-political as well as a technical framework, pathways to enhance drought resilience will be set out.

Case study countries are: 

The final report is set to be published by ELD and UNCCD before UNCCD COP16, aiming to inform discussions and negotiations of stakeholders and contributing to creating high-level momentum for the global agenda on drought resilience.


We appreciate the financial support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and DevelopmentEuropean CommissionUNCCD Secretariat, and Biovision to realize this project.

We are happy to collaborate with esteemed partners such as UNU-INWEHUNCCD SecretariatCIFOR-ICRAF Africa, University of California, Davis, IUCNWOTRMulloon InstituteCommonland, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), National Forest Corperation Chile.

Partners