North Korea’s impending perfect storm

During a drought, soil becomes dry and compact without moisture over extended periods of time, making it more difficult for the ground to absorb rainfall. If an area impacted by drought is suddenly hit with large amounts of precipitation, major flooding will soon follow. California, for example, experienced an extended drought from 2011-2017. When the rain picked up in 2017, California witnessed large amounts of flooding throughout the state.

The same thing will continue to happen in North Korea. The difference being, California is able to handle strain on its flood network, whereas North Korea does not have the comparable infrastructure to support such natural disasters. For instance, when Typhoon Lionrock passed over North Hamgyong Province in August 2016, the area was devastated, including the loss of at least 133 lives, damage to 30,000 homes, and displacement of almost 70,000 people.

To make matters worse, North Korea’s geography is extremely mountainous, increasing the possibilities of mudslides and landslides. This is especially likely in agricultural areas — often located on uneven, barren mountain slopes — where loose soil is vulnerable during heavy rain, resulting in agricultural resource destruction and, thus, even further decreased access to critical domestic food sources.