Starting in January 2024, most of Zambia began experiencing an ongoing drought, considered to be the worst to hit the country in at least two decades, leading to severe food shortages, water scarcity, and a national emergency declaration. The drought is affecting 84 of the 116 districts across Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Lusaka, Northwestern, Southern, and Western provinces. Triggered by an El Niño-induced dry spell, the drought continues to have profound impacts on agriculture, water supply, and food security, affecting over a million children and households across the nation. Zambia's economy and food security is heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture, making the country particularly vulnerable to changes in weather patterns. The 2023-2024 rainy season saw the influence of El Niño, leading to significantly reduced rainfall and the onset of severe drought conditions, which persist to the present day. On 29 February 2024, President Hakainde Hichilema declared the drought a national disaster.
Why this event still matters
Historical incidents shape the rules that protect people today — building codes, evacuation policy, warning systems and inspection regimes almost always trace back to a specific disaster. Studying 2024 Zambian drought alongside current events is how preparedness improves.
See what is happening right now on the live world incident map, browse every droughts we track on the Drought tracker, or follow live incidents in Zambia.