Drought

Beyond records, impacts could include intensified heatwaves, coral bleaching, and disruptions to agriculture and water supplies across multiple continents. In regions like India, where monsoon rains support hundreds of millions, a developing El Niño often correlates with weaker rainfall, though exact outcomes depend on the event’s strength and timing.

According to the latest integrated food security phase classification (IPC) analysis, approximately 7.5 million people across vulnerable regions are grappling with high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition.

By combining economic opportunities with risk reduction, CRALEP aims to create a ripple effect: improved market access, better health, and reduced poverty.

Humanitarian assistance has declined sharply amid global funding shortfalls, leaving millions more exposed.

Unchecked, these impacts could deepen conflicts and stall sustainable development goals, particularly SDG 6 on water and sanitation.

With 2026 designated the Year of Water, Blue Davos seeks to shift perceptions – elevating water from a peripheral issue to a core developmental and economic priority.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed that 2025 ranked as one of the three warmest years on record, underscoring the relentless grip of human-driven climate change even amid natural cooling influences.

For a nation of nearly 90 million people, the limits of traditional water management have been laid bare. Whether Iran’s new strategies can avert wider social and ecological breakdown remains a central question for policymakers, communities, and neighbouring countries alike.