Drought is a period of low rainfall, sufficient to cause a shortage of water. This is different from water scarcity, which relates to an excess of demand over supply and can occur even when rainfall is plentiful.
Droughts can last years, as is currently happening in Australia. But in parts of the world, drought is a natural part of life. It is anticipated that global warming will cause droughts in parts of the world that have not previously experienced them, and worsen them in some areas where they are currently occasional occurrences.
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