Drought, Desertification Threaten BRICS Countries As Efforts To Combat Crisis Intensify
KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 (Bernama) -- The rapid spread of drought and desertification are one of the most serious environmental threats that can directly affect BRICS countries, where large populations and extensive agricultural areas coexist, TV BRICS reported.
Sustainable development, international environmental cooperation, water resource management, and forest ecosystems expert Gabriela de Fatima Cia said that desertification has become not only an environmental issue but also an economic one.
“According to the latest data from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), more than three-quarters (77.6 per cent) of the world's land surface experienced drier conditions during the three decades leading up to 2020 compared with the previous 30-year period,” she said.
Cia, who is also a member of the BRICS Student Commission and coordinator of the Youth Secretariat of the Centre for Integration and Cooperation of Russia and Latin America (CICRAL), said BRICS countries represent the interests of more than half of the world's population and possess significant freshwater reserves, forest resources and extensive agricultural land
She said droughts occur in almost all BRICS countries, including China, India, South Africa, Brazil, Russia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
China, which has implemented anti-desertification programmes for more than half a century, still has around 27 per cent of its territory classified as desert or arid land despite progress in afforestation efforts.
India and South Africa are also facing increasing pressure on water resources, soil and agriculture, with desertification risks, extreme heat and water shortages threatening food security.
In Brazil, rising drought trends, particularly in the north-eastern and semi-arid regions, have affected productivity and food security, while water shortages and wildfires have become persistent threats in areas such as the Amazon and Pantanal.
In Russia, the issue is less about classical desertification and more about a combination of water shortages, climate variability and soil degradation in vulnerable regions, with parts of the country's southern regions facing growing drought risks despite vast humid zones.
She said countries such as Iran and the United Arab Emirates are located in naturally hyper-arid regions and face extreme water scarcity.
Meanwhile, environmental law expert and public environmental affairs specialist Aleksandra Kudzagova said hydraulic engineering projects are the primary tool for combating drought, enabling the storage and distribution of water resources while mitigating seasonal fluctuations and climate anomalies.
She said in Egypt, the world's largest agricultural wastewater treatment facility, the Al-Hammam Plant, was built as part of the major New Delta project to produce 7.5 million cubic metres of clean water every day and transform parts of the Sahara into agricultural land.
BRICS countries have also strengthened environmental cooperation through initiatives such as the BRICS Environment Working Group (EWG) and financial support from the New Development Bank (NDB), which has approved more than 120 projects worth around US$40 billion, focusing on infrastructure and sustainable development.
Meanwhile, the Silk Road Caravan initiative launched by the UNCCD in 2026 has drawn attention to land degradation and the importance of restoring rangeland ecosystems.
The initiative will travel through several Eurasian countries before concluding at the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD (COP17) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in August.
Experts also highlighted the BRICS Partnership for Land Restoration, launched in 2025, as an important step towards supporting the restoration of degraded ecosystems, including mangroves, riverbanks and wetlands.
Experts agree that coordinated action, additional financing, the application of scientific approaches and the development of smart agriculture are becoming increasingly essential, as forecasts for the continued expansion of arid zones remain unfavourable.
“Global warming continues, and in some regions it is leading to water shortages. At the same time, population growth and economic development across BRICS countries are increasing demand for water and expanding water extraction from natural ecosystems,” Kudzagova said.
-- BERNAMA
