In the last 30 years there has been at least one major drought episode in each decade. In Ethiopia alone, the 1984 drought affected 8.7 million people, about 1 million died and 1.5 million livestock perished. In the Sudan 8.5 million people were affected by the same drought, and about 1 million people and 7 million livestock died. Drought is, therefore, a recurring phenomenon in the region and there will always be certain locations experiencing localized drought conditions. Drought is becoming more frequent and the cycles more severe.
Floods are also common in the region.
In countries where the infrastructure is less well developed, even moderately sized floods, such as those that can be expected on average once every ten years, can lead to disruption of road and rail transport, cuts in telecommunications and the breakdown of electricity and water supplies. The major direct impacts of flooding are the destruction of crops, the drowning of animals and the siltation of reservoirs. Drought has a perhaps unique impact on agricultural systems because of its duration, which often extends over several seasons. The people of the region have, over centuries, evolved mechanisms for coping with the risks of the environment in which they live. For the pastoralists, travelling with their herds and flocks to follow the rains and the growth in pasture is a natural part of their system, while setting areas aside for grazing reserves and splitting herds to minimize risk are elements of their coping mechanism.