Drought Archives

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Cecil Joe, a member of the Navajo Nation, fills a water tank supplying one Navajo household on June 5th, 2019, in Thoreau, New Mexico. Due to a legacy of poverty, marginalization, and disputed water rights, up to 40 percent of Navajo families don't have clean running water at home and are forced to rely on visits to water pumps.

Drought Intensifies the Navajo Nation’s Ongoing Water Shortage (in Photos)

Although drought conditions are improving across most of the U.S., more than 40 percent of Navajo households still don't have running water at home.

Emily Moon

Southeast Alaska's Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the United States.

The Wettest Part of Alaska Is Experiencing Extreme Drought. Is Climate Change to Blame?

The drought has had damaging economic and ecological impacts.

Leah Dunlevy

Water is pumped into an irrigation canal in Biggs, California.

Washington State Faces a Drought Emergency While Much of the U.S. Is Having a Wet Spring. Is This Normal?

A research scientist explains where to draw the line between normal variability and climate change.

Leah Dunlevy

Viewfinder: Farmers in Germany Fear Possible Summer Drought

The photographer lets soil the texture of dry sand slip through his fingers at a farmer's field on April 25th, 2019, near Liebenwalde, Germany.

Pacific Standard Staff

Plumbing technician Todd Snider tests the flow of water after installing an aerator at a home on February 5th, 2014, in Novato, California. Many Californians have installed water-saving devices in their homes like low-flow toilets, shower heads, and aerators.

California’s Drought Is Over. What Will That Mean for Water Use?

California's water conservation has seen ups and downs in recent years. Here's what the data shows.

Emily Moon

Smoke billows in the town of Douma on April 7th, 2018, after Syrian regime troops resumed a military blitz to pressure rebels to withdraw.

A New Report Links Climate Change, the Arab Spring, and Mass Migration

The study pinpoints a particular area and time period where climate change had a profound impact: countries affected by the Arab Spring between 2010 and 2012.

Kelley Czajka

Environment

How Termites Help Tropical Forests Withstand Droughts

A new study found that, during drought conditions, increased termite activity led to considerably higher leaf litter decomposition, increased soil moisture, and greater diversity in soil nutrient distribution.

Shreya Dasgupta

Environment

The World’s Largest Rainforest Is Failing to Adapt Quick Enough for Climate Change

New research suggests that the rate of change in tree composition within the Amazon basin lags by two orders of magnitude behind the change in climate.

Claire Asher