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"Now in its fourth year, the drought in California has reached record-breaking levels of dryness, with more than half of the state under the most severe level of drought. In some of the hardest hit communities, taps have run completely dry, leaving hundreds of households with no access to running water. On April 1, Gov. Jerry Brown announced the first mandatory water restrictions in California history."

"Every inhabited continent, to varying degrees, has areas where there is extremely high water stress. These are areas where more than 80% of the local water supply is withdrawn by businesses, farmers, residents and other consumers every year. These so-called stressed areas are also the ones most vulnerable to episodic droughts. With chronic overuse of water resources, it only takes a string of years with bad rainfall or poor management decisions to plunge a region into crisis and chaos. Here's a look at seven extreme droughts that have occurred in the past decade."

"As he put the state under an official emergency declaration last week, California governor Jerry Brown warned his state is 'facing perhaps the worst drought California has ever seen since records began being kept 100 years ago'. Wildfire dangers are increased, and some cities are close to running out of water"

"Emergency regulations force some communities to cut water use by as much as 36% as devastating drought enters fourth year"

Severe drought and water shortages are causing blackouts and threatening a range of businesses in Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paulo, authorities have said. Rio de Janeiro state's government warned on Friday that the Rio region was experiencing its worst-ever water crisis, while low water levels in the Paraiba do Sul river affected Brazil's largest city, Sao Paulo, which is suffering ts worst drought in nearly 100 years.

The U.S. Drought Monitor, which publishes its colorful drought map every Thursday, this week is expected to show a slight decline in the dark brown parts of California suffering the most acutely from a drought that has parched the state four years in a row.

"Water regulators in California voted on Tuesday to outlaw watering the lawn within 48 hours of a rainstorm, the latest effort to spur Californians to conserve as the state enters its fourth year of drought."

"North Korea says it is facing the worst drought in a century, sparking fears of worsening food shortages."

"Despite the recent rain in southern California, the area is still suffering from a historic drought. Homeowners who can't abide municipal water restrictions are trying lawn painting and synthetic grass - and lawn entrepreneurs are finding plenty of work: 'We all do it because we want to live in a beautiful neighborhood'"

"Climate change fears as 778,000 people face food insecurity amid Namibia's longest dry spell in a generation"

"As water levels plummet to 45% in America's second-largest reservoir, new islands appear - and fears grow for a waterway that serves 40 million people"

" Drought-stricken California has ordered the largest cuts on record to farmers holding some of the state's strongest water rights."

"Forecasters expect quieter hurricane season this year which means less rain to help refill dry reservoirs and water withering crops"