What is drought?

Drought is an extended period of below-average rainfall causing water shortages, crop failures, and stress on people, livestock, and ecosystems. Australia is the second-driest continent on Earth and has experienced major droughts throughout its recorded history, with cycles of dry and wet years linked to ocean and atmospheric patterns over the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

The Federation Drought from about 1895 to 1903 coincided with the formation of the Commonwealth and devastated colonial agriculture. The World War II Drought of 1937 to 1947, the 1982 to 1983 drought, and the Millennium Drought from 1997 to 2009 were all multi-year national events. The Millennium Drought in particular led to severe water restrictions across most capital cities, the building of major desalination plants in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, and Sydney, and the foundation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Drought in Australia is shaped by the El Nino-Southern Oscillation. El Nino events typically bring drought to eastern Australia and floods to South America, while La Nina events do the reverse. The Indian Ocean Dipole, the Southern Annular Mode, and longer-term climate change all also influence rainfall patterns. The 2017 to 2019 drought across eastern Australia, preceding the Black Summer fires, was one of the most severe on record for northern New South Wales and southern Queensland.

Drought response in Australia involves federal and state governments. Programs include Farm Household Allowance income support, drought communities programs, low-interest loans through the Regional Investment Corporation, and exceptional circumstances declarations. Long-term measures include investment in water infrastructure, the National Water Grid Authority, and the Future Drought Fund (a $5 billion fund established in 2019). Climate scientists project Australia will face longer and more severe droughts as the climate continues to warm.