Disaster caused by man
The drought which is at the center of J.G. Ballard's The Drought is a disaster that is caused by man, which is perhaps the most important theme in the novel. Most bad things that happen to humans do not happen serendipitously, the book argues. Humans cause many of their own problems. And in the novel, man causes one of the most serious disasters to have ever occurred: the loss of the ability to easily access potable drinking water and the loss of the oceans of the world, each of which is the backbone that provided humans with good conditions they could live in and food they could eat.
Extinction
Extinction is an important theme in The Drought. In the novel, humanity is on the verge of extinction because of a lack of water caused by a severe drought, which was caused by pollution from industrial runoff. In other words: the drought which is threatening humanity was caused by humanity. For Ransom and the other people who have survived this drought, extinction and the loss of their lives are one of their biggest stressors. After all, not having water is an extinction-level event. And it is the goal of all of humanity to endure, procreate, and continue to advance civilization, something which is impossible if someone doesn't have the thing which enables them to stay alive: water.
The importance of water
One of the most significant themes in The Drought is the importance of water. Water is the lifeblood of civilization. It is the fuel that humans drink to survive. It is the reason that food can grow and it is the reason that the Earth is habitable. Without water, as the characters in the novel are very quickly figuring out, the entire Earth looks much different. In fact, there is no humanity and no civilization if there is no water. And if there are no people, there are no stories and ultimately, no novels like The Drought.
