Tears of Soil

The story of the Drought in Bangladesh & The Global Water Crisis.

Water, a human right, is critical for human survival and development. Drought, which occurs in nearly all regions, has affected more people worldwide in the last 40 years than any other natural hazard. It is a complex natural phenomenon with varying levels of intensity, duration, spatial extent and impacts. Severe drought episodes have drastic socio-economic and environmental impacts, including, for example, massive famines and migration, natural resource degradation, and weak economic performance. Agriculture is the first sector affected when drought hits and also the most affected sector, absorbing up to 80 percent of all direct impacts, with multiple effects on agricultural production, food security and rural livelihoods. Climate change is exacerbating drought in many parts of the world, increasing its frequency, severity and duration.


Around 263 million people globally have access to water sources that are considered safe, but need to spend at least 30 minutes walking or queuing to collect their water. Drought can also affect the health of livestock raised for food. Livestock can become malnourished, diseased, and die. Contaminated water can transmit diseases such diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid & estimated to cause 485000 diarrhoeal deaths each year.