Drought and Your Health

Key points

  • Drought is a prolonged period of dry weather caused by lack of rainfall, resulting in water shortage.
  • Periods of drought can result in inadequate water supply and can lead to public health problems.
  • Take action and learn how drought can impact your health and the health of your family.
The sun beats down on parched, cracked soil.

Overview

Droughts can last from a single season to many decades and can affect from a few hundred to millions of square miles. With our changing climate, historically dry areas of the United States are likely to experience an increased risk of drought.

Drought can affect areas or communities differently depending on several additional variables, including:

  • the structure and capacity of existing water systems,
  • local governance of water use,
  • urban vs. rural land use,
  • economic development,
  • the at-risk populations living in the affected area, and
  • other societal factors, such as the presence of local community networks.

Health impacts

Severe drought conditions can negatively affect air quality. During drought, there is an increased risk for wildfires and dust storms. Particulate matter suspended in the air from these events can irritate the bronchial passages and lungs. Chronic respiratory illnesses can become worse, and the risk for respiratory infections like bronchitis and pneumonia can increase.

The health impacts of drought are numerous and far reaching. Some drought-related health effects are experienced in the short-term and can be directly observed and measured. However, the slow rise or chronic nature of drought can result in longer term, indirect health impacts that are not always easy to anticipate or monitor.

The possible public health impacts of drought include:

  • compromised quantity and quality of drinking water;
  • increased recreational risks;
  • effects on air quality;
  • diminished living conditions related to energy, air quality, and sanitation and hygiene;
  • mental health effects related to economic and job losses;
  • compromised food and nutrition; and
  • increased incidence of illness and disease.

For more information on drought, see our infographic, which offers an overview on these three main questions: Why does drought matter? How can drought affect health? What is CDC doing?

Resources

Print
Content Source:
National Center for Environmental Health