When the Rain Stopped: How Drought Shaped Disease in Ancient China

In the late 1500s, China faced a massive drought that lasted for years. This wasn't just any dry spell—it was one of the worst in history. During this time, something else happened: diseases started spreading like wildfire. But how are these two things connected? Droughts can be brutal. They don't just make the ground dry; they mess with people's lives. In Ming Dynasty China, the drought from 1585 to 1590 didn't just cause thirst—it led to famine. And famine? Well, that's a perfect storm for diseases to take over. So, what happened? The drought hit the north the hardest. When the rain stopped, crops failed, and people started starving. And guess what? Starving people are more likely to get sick. The diseases didn't just pop up right away, though. Some effects were immediate, but others took time to show up. The pattern was clear: drought led to famine, and famine led to disease. It wasn't just a one-time thing, either. The worse the drought, the worse the diseases got. And it wasn't just about timing—where the drought hit mattered too. Northern China saw more disease outbreaks than the south. This isn't just ancient history. It's a lesson for today. Understanding how droughts and diseases are linked can help us prepare for the future. Climate change is making droughts more common, so knowing what happened back then could help us stay safe now.