This drought vulnerability assessment for SADC uses the IPCC framework to assess the distribution of drought hazard and social and biophysical vulnerability to those hazards in order to identify drought vulnerability and risk hotspots. The assessment reveals that most of the SADC countries are experiencing an increasing trend in terms of drought severity, albeit with differing rates of change. Countries such as South Africa, Lesotho and parts of the southern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Tanzania are key hotspots. The number of reported drought events in the region has been consistently on the increase over the past century. It is worth noting that the frequency and number of drought events has accelerated over the past few decades. However, the three small island states of Comoros, Mauritius and Seychelles are not severely affected by drought.

Hotspots of drought vulnerability are shown in northern Madagascar and in parts of Tanzania. However, it is clear that medium-high risk (high vulnerability, medium-high climate hazard) is widespread across Angola, the DRC, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar.