The head of the United Nations office for disaster risk reduction has warned the world is not prepared for the consequences of severe drought.
Australia is in the grip of an extreme El Nino weather event, with more heatwaves and a heightened bushfire risk expected this summer.
Margareta Wahlstrom is the special representative of the UN secretary-general for disaster risk reduction.
She said of all the hazards, drought was the most complex because it was difficult to model.
"Most countries in the world still suffer badly in drought — even rich countries," she said.
"It's an area where we are not quite well prepared.