droughts
Extended rainless periods
Droughts is the plural of drought—prolonged periods of abnormally low rainfall causing water shortages and crop failure.
The word extends to any sustained scarcity: a drought of new ideas, The team's scoring drought lasted three games.
Droughts can last months or years and may trigger famine, migration, and economic crisis.
Water falling from clouds
- precipitationAtmospheric water deposit
- aridDevoid of water
- parchedExtremely dry or thirsty
- dry spellProlonged absence of rain
water shortage · heatwave · evaporation · moisture · humidity · barometric · weather patterns · atmospheric
Limiting distribution during scarcity
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
- restrictionsLimitations on action
- aquiferGroundwater-bearing geological formation
- wellsExcavated water sources
emergency measures · infrastructure · pumping · desalination · recycling · storage · pipelines · allocation
When fields yield nothing
- harvestGathering mature crops
- famineSevere food shortage
- irrigationArtificial water supply for agriculture
- witheredDried and shrunken
wilting · stunted growth · livestock · grazing · soil moisture · groundwater · reservoirs · farmland
Deficient supply of necessities
- scarcityInsufficiency of something needed
- dearthAcute shortage of something
- absenceState of not being
- lackDeficiency or absence
deficit · paucity · void · gap · slump · lull · lean times · stagnation
Things subtracted from standing
- hardshipSuffering from difficult circumstances
- insuranceContractual risk coverage
- commodity pricesCost of traded raw goods
- subsidiesFinancial aid from government
bankruptcy · unemployment · regional economy · supply chain · exports · inflation · government assistance · emergency funds
Elimination of living spaces
- wildlifeUndomesticated natural organisms
- migrationMovement to new territory
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- biodiversityRange of life forms
wetlands · rivers · fish kills · vegetation · wildfire risk · erosion · dust storms · extinction
rainfall
Water falling from clouds
- precipitationAtmospheric water deposit
- aridDevoid of water
- parchedExtremely dry or thirsty
dry spell · water shortage · heatwave · evaporation · moisture · humidity · barometric · weather patterns · atmospheric · climate
rationing
Limiting distribution during scarcity
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
- restrictionsLimitations on action
- aquiferGroundwater-bearing geological formation
wells · emergency measures · infrastructure · pumping · desalination · recycling · storage · pipelines · allocation · groundwater depletion
crop failure
When fields yield nothing
- harvestGathering mature crops
- famineSevere food shortage
- irrigationArtificial water supply for agriculture
withered · wilting · stunted growth · livestock · grazing · soil moisture · groundwater · reservoirs · farmland · grain prices
shortage
Deficient supply of necessities
lack · deficit · paucity · void · gap · slump · lull · lean times · stagnation · decline
losses
Things subtracted from standing
- hardshipSuffering from difficult circumstances
- insuranceContractual risk coverage
- commodity pricesCost of traded raw goods
subsidies · bankruptcy · unemployment · regional economy · supply chain · exports · inflation · government assistance · emergency funds · debt
habitat loss
Elimination of living spaces
- wildlifeUndomesticated natural organisms
- migrationMovement to new territory
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
biodiversity · wetlands · rivers · fish kills · vegetation · wildfire risk · erosion · dust storms · extinction · waterways
- climate impactsglobal warming, rising temperatures, rising temps, extreme weather, sea level rise
- weatherweather, rain, sun, snow, wind
- climateclimate change, climate, weather, global warming, temperature
- catastrophesdisasters, disaster, natural disasters, catastrophe, apocalypse
- global issuesclimate change, water scarcity, inequality, pandemics, poverty
- hazardsfire hazard, fire hazards, toxin, contamination, tripping hazard
- regional droughtProlonged water scarcity nearby
- drought reliefHelp during prolonged dryness
- goal droughtProlonged failure to score
- drought tolerantAble to survive dryness
- drought conditionsExtended period without rain
- drought resistantAble to withstand dryness