The gradual impacts of worsening droughts caused by climate change could force around 145 million people in the Global South to relocate within their own countries by 2050.

A new study published Thursday reveals that the ongoing drought in the Horn of Africa, which includes Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, is now 100 times more likely to occur due to the human-caused climate crisis.

Flash droughts, which intensify in a matter of weeks, have become more frequent since the late 1950s in 74% of the 33 regions of the planet and are expected to accelerate in an increasingly warm world, warns a study published by Science.

In water-scarce regions, droughts pose a critical challenge to urban water security for low-income households. Droughts reduce water availability, forcing water providers to invest in additional supplies or implement costly short-term emergency measures.