The United Nations (UN) warns that drought is emerging as the next ‘pandemic,’ putting millions at risk and undermining progress towards Zero Hunger by 2030.

According to new research led by the School of Social and Environmental Sustainability, human responses to drought are inadvertently reinforcing the crisis, creating a dangerous feedback loop that accelerates resource depletion.

Treating drought as a purely natural phenomenon, and hunger as a separate social problem, is failing to build resilience, say authors of the study. Drought is no longer just an act of nature; it is becoming an anthropogenic process driven by unsustainable management of water resources.

This is particularly critical given the high stakes: droughts caused over 82% of the damages in the food production sector between 2008 and 2018, and global population exposure is projected to increase by 370% under a 2°C warming scenario.

The study shows that short-term coping strategies - such as irrigation expansion or subsidy reforms - can undermine long-term sustainability, depleting water resources and worsening food insecurity. It concludes that cross-sectoral collaboration and integrated policy planning are essential to replace these destructive feedback loops with pathways to long-term resilience.

This research study was funded by the University of Glasgow’s College of Social Sciences (CoSS) PhD Scholarship.

Dr Md Sarwar Hossain, of the School of Social & Environmental Sustainability, led the supervisory team. He said: "Our study strongly advocates for the immediate adoption of a social-ecological system perspective to effectively counter the threats of climate change. While our studies initially focused on developing countries in Asia and Africa, similar feedback loops and complex relationships are highly applicable to the UK. Developing a system model for the UK's drought-food security nexus urgently requires considering factors such as global political instability, human response and the deepening water crisis."

"We often think of drought as an environmental phenomenon, driven by rainfall deficits or higher temperatures," commented PhD student, Debashis Roy. "But resilience depends just as much on how people respond – through farming practices, policy, and governance. Recognising these social-ecological interactions and feedback can make the difference between a manageable shock and a full-blown food crisis."

Research co-supervisor Dr Steven A Gillespie said: "Understanding social-ecological interactions is fundamental for effective and equitable policy formulation, addressing technological fixes and implications, social responses in the face of a worsening climate crisis and embedding resilience. Food production and consumption are globally connected with implications across all countries and nations, and this study underpins the requirement for a more holistic approach to addressing food insecurity."

This research builds on previous work by the School of Social & Environmental Sustainability, which reveals that Bangladesh is significantly behind in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger). Nearly 40% of households in Bangladesh currently experience food insecurity, with persistent and evident inequality across the country. This study was led by Abdul Mohammed Mokter Hossain, Dr Md Sarwar Hossain and Professor Cecilia Tortajada.

Dr Md Sarwar Hossain added: "Both these studies offer researchers and policymakers a framework for anticipating tipping points, managing trade-offs, and designing interventions. The findings will allow policymakers to identify and manage the complex trade-offs that exist between sectors - for instance, balancing immediate agricultural output (food security) against long-term groundwater sustainability (ecological health).

"This research underscores the University of Glasgow’s commitment to tackling the world’s most pressing climate and food security challenges through innovative, interdisciplinary research."

First published: 20 October 2025

<< University news


Related links