World's worst droughts as nations fail to tackle climate change

United Nations says drought risks becoming "the next pandemic" if nations don't take action on water and waste management land and do not address climate change. Europe faces its worst drought in 500 years

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Drought declared in parts of England

The world faces a drought emergency as rivers dry up, reservoirs shrink and once-fertile swaths of land turn into arid deserts.

Some areas of the UK are suffering from drought conditions that are endangering wildlife, destroying crops and reducing water supplies.

But we are not alone: ​​almost every continent is now experiencing drought, with Europe facing the worst in 500 years. The United Nations says drought risks becoming "the next pandemic" if nations don't take action to manage water and land and tackle climate change.

The UN says the frequency and duration of droughts have increased by almost a third since 2000, with at least 1.5 billion people directly affected this century.

Here we take a look at some of the most affected areas.

Visitors walk past the 11th century church, visible due to drought in the Sau Reservoir, Spain (

Picture:

Getty Images) Australia

The year kicked off with the driest summer in 40 years for Tasmania, Australia's southernmost state which is usually wet, with the lowest level of rainfall on record.< /p>

It was also the fourth driest since records began over a century ago. Total precipitation was 43% below the long-term average. Parts of the southwest received between 200mm and 400mm less rain than they normally would in the summer.