Many African economies, which largely rely on agricultural revenue, are the least equipped to deal with the devastating impact of regular drought, economists have said. About 43 percent of Africa's land surface is arid and low rainfall is considered a normal fact of life. However, drought, which used to occur on average every five to six years, has been happening more frequently over the last 12 years. It is the single most important natural hazard in terms of shattered livelihoods, starvation, deaths and nutrition-related diseases on the continent.