During the latter half of 2011 there was a severe drought in Tuvalu, a South Pacific island country of approximately 10,500 people. A state of emergency was declared on September 28 2011, with rationing of available fresh-water. This drought coincided with a La Niña, which ended in April-May 2012.

The purposes of this investigation are: to discover the level and the severity of the dry weather events on the islands of Tuvalu; define the need for an emergency water supply; and reflect on lessons learned from past drought occurrences to help communities better prepare for possible drought and water shortages in the future. This will be done by providing information on the impacts of the extended periods of reduced rainfall on water and food security.

This study analysed Funafuti Rainfall data, which clearly indicates that there has been a negative trend of -212 millimetres per decade since 1980-2013.This could may an increase in the occurrence and duration of future drought events.