drought meaning essay

What is drought? Causes, impact & countries most affected

East Africa is facing its worst drought in 40 years, with over 1.4 million people displaced by drought in Somalia alone. Learn more about drought, what causes it, and how we can support those most impacted.

Around the world, droughts are becoming increasingly common due to rising global temperatures — and have serious impacts, leading to crop failures, famine and malnutrition. 

East Africa , for example, is facing its worst drought in years, affecting 40 million people. Many are facing near-famine and malnutrition because of the drought’s impact on food supplies. 

Learn more about drought, what causes it, and what the IRC is doing to help in East Africa. 

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What is drought .

Drought is caused by a lack of rainfall, causing serious water shortages. It can be fatal.  

More specifically, drought is defined by a period of unusually dry weather caused by low rainfall and high temperatures. It is also defined in terms of the impact on agriculture when crops fail due to lack of moisture in soil, leading to food shortages and serious human impacts such as famine in severe cases. 

Unlike other extreme weather events that are more sudden, like earthquakes or hurricanes, droughts happen gradually. But they can be just as deadly as other weather hazards—if not more so. Drought has affected more people in the last 40 years than any other natural disaster.  

The severity of drought worsens over time. When it arrives, drought can last for weeks, months, or years—sometimes, the effects last decades. 

What causes drought?  

Droughts can be triggered by natural causes such as weather patterns. But increasingly they are caused by human activity. 

Human causes of drought 

Climate change : Global warming makes extreme weather more likely. It can make places drier by increasing evaporation. When land becomes so dry, an impermeable crust forms, so when it does rain, water runs off the surface, meaning sometimes flash flooding occurs. 

Deforestation : Plants and trees capture and release water into the atmosphere, which creates clouds and then rain. Scientists have observed a relationship between deforestation and drought. 

Agriculture : Intensive farming contributes to deforestation in the first instance but can also affect the absorbency of the soil, meaning it dries out much more quickly. 

High water demand : There are several reasons water demand might outweigh the supply, including intensive agriculture and population spikes. Also, high demand upstream in rivers (for dams or irrigation) can cause drought in lower, downstream areas. 

Other natural causes of drought 

Changes in ocean temperatures : El Niño and La Niña are climate patterns that can cause drought in some parts of the world. El Niño is characterized by warmer-than-average ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, which can lead to drought in the southwestern United States and southern Africa. La Niña is characterized by cooler-than-average ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, which can lead to drought in Australia and Indonesia. 

The jet stream : The jet stream is a band of strong winds that flows high in the atmosphere. Changes in the jet stream can cause drought in some areas by bringing in dry air from other parts of the world. 

How are people impacted by drought? 

Risk of famine .

Drought causes food insecurity when crops fail. When a substantial part of the population can no longer access food this is known as famine and results in widespread acute malnutrition, disease and death across the affected region. 

East Africa is currently experiencing widespread food shortages and near-famine, with millions of children under 5 suffering from severe acute malnutrition. 

Malnutrition 

A lack of nutritious food caused by food shortages leads to acute malnutrition. Children suffering from malnutrition are a high risk category. Deprived of essential vitamins and minerals required for their proper growth, they are prone to disease, severe developmental delays and even death.   

Effective treatment for children suffering from malnutrition exists, but often does not reach those most in need. The IRC has developed a simplified process for treating malnutrition in order to reach more children with lower costs. 

Increase in diseases 

Drought affects vital access to clean drinking water. This can lead to people drinking contaminated water, which brings about outbreaks of diseases like cholera and typhoid. These diseases can also spread in places with poor sanitation, another side-effect of having no clean water. 

It can cause wildfires 

Dry conditions can cause wildfires that burn remaining vegetation and endanger homes. Fires can also impact air quality and exacerbate chronic lung conditions. 

People are displaced 

People must travel further to find clean water. This usually falls to women and children, who must sacrifice other work and school to carry out an incredibly physical task. 

Without access to clean water or food, many must permanently leave their homes in order to survive. The World Health Organization states , “Water scarcity impacts 40% of the world’s population, and as many as 700 million people are at risk of being displaced as a result of drought by 2030.” 

Related : Meet the people displaced by drought in Somalia  

It can feed into conflict 

Research has also found that drought exacerbates existing conflicts. People migrating en masse from areas of drought and famine can result in increased political tensions and conflict due to increased competition for resources. There is evidence that drought contributed to the conflict in Syria , for example. 

Flash flooding 

Flooding can also be a risk in the same geographical areas that suffer from drought. 

Rain after a drought sounds like it ought to be a good thing, but after a prolonged period of dryness, sudden heavy rainfall can lead to hazardous flash flooding like that seen in Pakistan.  

This is because droughts leave the ground hard and baked, with little to no plant cover and low soil quality, which prevents rain from saturating the ground. Instead, when waterfalls in a large quantity and at speed—like in a thunderstorm—it runs over the parched ground. 

Which countries are in a drought? 

Droughts can occur all around the world. However, the effects of drought vary by region.  

Droughts bring the most risk to areas with high-pressure weather systems that are already prone to desertification. Developing countries are also more vulnerable to the socio-economic effects of drought due to a large percentage of their population being employed in the agriculture industry.  

East Africa 

In Africa droughts pose a high risk and the following countries in East Africa are severely affected by drought: 

Somalia where drought is leading to near-famine conditions 

Kenya which has experienced a record six below average rainy seasons 

Ethiopia has seen six below average rainy seasons in a drought affecting 31 million people 

Over 40 million people have been impacted by the drought across East Africa. The drought affecting countries like Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia began in October 2020. Throughout these regions, insecurity, severe drought, and an exponential increase in food prices have brought millions to the brink of famine. 

“Somalia is seeing the worst of the crisis, with over 200,000 already living in the most extremes of hunger, but the challenge is regional,” says Abukar Mohamud, IRC’s Deputy Director of Programs for Somalia. “Across East Africa, people are facing the worst drought in 40 years.  

“People are not just dying due to a lack of food. Hunger means their weakened bodies cannot fight off diseases like diarrhea, measles or malaria, so death rates are high. Children are particularly at risk and often die at double the rate of adults. And those who survive will face ill health for the rest of their lives. The 2011 famine saw over 250,000 people die of hunger – half of whom were children.” 

What is the IRC doing to help in East Africa? 

East Africa is home to some of the IRC’s longest-running programs globally. Today, over 2,000 IRC staff in the region are scaling up our programs to address the current drought and rising food insecurity, including expanding to new areas to meet severe needs. 

This includes health programming, food and cash assistance, and providing clean water.  

A new approach to treating malnutrition 

Currently, 80% of malnourished children do not have access to treatment. The IRC has developed a streamlined approach for treatment so that more children can access treatment and recover. We are working to raise funds and remove blocks so that this treatment can be distributed at scale in places like East Africa.  

How can I help?

Around the world, our staff are working around the clock to ensure families can survive, recover and regain control of their futures. Donate now to support our work.

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Understanding Droughts

Drought is an extended period of unusually dry weather when there is not enough rain.

Biology, Ecology, Earth Science, Meteorology, Geography, Human Geography, Physical Geography, Social Studies, U.S. History, World History, Geology

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Drought  is an extended period of unusually dry  weather  when there is not enough rain. The lack of  precipitation  can cause a variety of problems for local communities, including damage to  crops and a shortage of drinking water. These effects can lead to devastating  economic  and social disasters, such as  famine ,  forced migration  away from drought -stricken areas, and  conflict  over remaining  resources .

Because the full effects of a drought can develop slowly over time, impacts can be underestimated. However, drought can have  drastic  and long-term effects on  vegetation , animals, and people. Since 1900, more than 11 million people have died and more than 2 billion people have been affected by drought . Drought is also one of the costliest weather -related disasters. Since 2014 California has lost at least 2 billion-dollars a year, due to drought .

Defining Drought

Drought is a complicated  phenomenon , and can be hard to define. One difficulty is that drought means different things in different regions. A drought is defined depending on the average amount of precipitation that an area is accustomed to receiving.

For example, in Atlanta, Georgia, the average rainfall is about 127 centimeters (50 inches) a year. If  significantly less rain falls, there may be water shortages and a drought may be declared. However, some arid regions, such as the  deserts of the American Southwest, may receive less than about 25 centimeters (10 inches) of rainfall in a non- drought year. A drought in Atlanta could be a very wet period in Phoenix, Arizona!

Determining the start of a drought can be tricky. Unlike many  natural hazards that bring about sudden and dramatic results—such as  earthquakes ,  tornadoes , and  hurricanes —the onset of a drought can be gradual and subtle. It can take weeks, months, or even years for the full effects of long-term  inadequate  rainfall to become apparent.

The end of a drought can also be difficult to determine. While a single rain storm will provide short-term relief from a drought , it might take weeks or months before levels of precipitation return to normal. The start and end of a drought are often only clear in hindsight .

Causes of Drought

Most droughts occur when regular weather patterns are interrupted, causing  disruption to the  water cycle . Changes in  atmospheric circulation  patterns can cause storm tracks to be  stalled for months or years. This disruption can dramatically impact amounts of precipitation that a region normally receives. Changes in wind patterns can also be disruptive to how moisture is absorbed in various regions.

Scientists have found a link between certain  climate  patterns and drought . El Niño is a weather event where the surface water in the Pacific Ocean along the central South American coast rises in temperature. These warmer waters alter storm patterns and are associated with droughts in Indonesia, Australia, and northeastern South America. El Nino events keep climate scientists guessing, by occurring every two to seven years.

La Niña is the counterpart to El Niño , when the surface water in the Pacific Ocean along the coast of South America decreases in temperature. The cooler waters affect storm patterns by contributing to drier-than-normal conditions in parts of North and South America. El Niño and La Niña both usually last about a year. The effects of La Niña on weather patterns are often more  complex  than El Niño . Two of the most devastating droughts in the history of the United States—the 1930s  Dust Bowl  and the 1988 drought in the Midwest—are associated with the effects of La Niña.

There is still a lot of debate about the connection between drought and  global warming , the current period of  climate change . A 2013 NASA study predicts warmer worldwide temperatures will mean increased rainfall in some parts of the world and decreased rainfall in others, leading to both more flooding and more droughts worldwide. Other scientists question the prediction that there will be more droughts and believe global warming will create a wetter climate around the world.

Impacts of Drought

Trees and other plants have adapted to withstand the effects of drought through various survival methods. Some plants (such as grasses) will slow their growth or turn brown to conserve water. Trees can drop their leaves earlier in the season to prevent losing water through the leaf surface. However, if drought conditions persist, much vegetation will die.

Certain plants have adapted so they can withstand long periods without water. Yuccas, for instance, have deep  root systems that can seek out water with incredible efficiency. Cacti have spiny, hairy spines, spikes, or leaves that limit how much water they lose to  evaporation . Mosses can withstand complete  dehydration . Juniper trees can self- prune  by steering water only to ward the branches required for survival. Other plants only grow when there is enough water to support them. In periods of drought , their seeds can survive under the  soil for years until conditions are favorable again.

However, many organisms cannot adapt to drought conditions, and the environmental effects of extended, unusual periods of low precipitation can be  severe . Negative impacts include damage to  habitats , loss of  biodiversity , soil   erosion , and an increased risk from  wildfires . During the U.S. drought of 1988, rainfall in many states was 50 to 85 percent below normal. Summer thunderstorms produced  lightning  without rain and  ignited fires in dry trees. In Yellowstone National Park 36 percent of the park was destroyed by fire.

Drought can also create significant economic and social problems. The lack of rain can result in crop loss, a decrease in land prices, and  unemployment  due to declines in production. As water levels in rivers and lakes fall, water-supply problems can develop. These can bring about other social problems. Many of these problems are health-related, such as lack of water, poor  nutrition , and famine . Other problems include conflicts over water usage and food, and forced migration away from drought -stricken areas.

While drought is a naturally occurring part of the weather cycle and cannot be prevented, human activity can influence the effects that drought has on a region. Many modern agricultural practices may make land more  vulnerable to drought . While new  irrigation  techniques have increased the amount of land that can be used for farming, they have also increased  farmers ’ dependence on water.

Traditional agricultural techniques allow land to “rest” by rotating crops each season and alternating areas where  livestock graze . Now, with many areas in the world struggling with overpopulation and a shortage of farmland, there is often not enough  arable  land to support  sustainable practices. Over-farming and  overgrazing  can lead to soil being  compacted and unable to hold water. As the soil becomes drier, it is vulnerable to erosion . This process can lead to  fertile  land becoming desert -like, a process known as  desertification . The desertification of the  Sahel  in North Africa is partly blamed on a prolonged drought whose effects were intensified by farming practices that result in overgrazing .

Increased drought conditions in Kenya have been attributed to  deforestation and other human activities. Trees help bring precipitation into the ground and prevent soil erosion . But in 2009, it was reported that one-quarter of a protected forest reserve had been cleared for farming and  logging , leading to drought conditions affecting 10 million people around the country.

Historical Droughts

Scientists often study historical droughts to put modern-day droughts in perspective. Since our  data  from  thermometers and  rain gauges only goes back about 100 to 150 years, scientists must research  paleoclimatology , the study of the atmosphere of prehistoric Earth. Scientists gather paleoclimatic data from  tree rings ,  sediments found in lakes and oceans,  ice cores , and archaeological  features and  artifacts . This allows scientists to extend their understanding of weather patterns for millions of years in the past.

Analyzing paleoclimatic data shows that severe and extended droughts are an  inevitable  part of natural climate cycles. North America has experienced a number of long-lasting droughts with significant effects. It is thought that droughts brought about the decline of the  Ancestral Puebloans  in the Southwest during the 13th century, and the central and Lower  Mississippian societies in the 14th to 16th centuries.

In South America, massive migration out of the once-fertile Atacama Desert 9,500 years ago can be explained by the onset of extreme drought.

In Africa, the Sahel region experienced a dry period from 1400 to 1750 that radically altered the  landscape . The water level in Lake Bosumtwi, Ghana, for instance, fell so low that an entire forest grew on the lake’s edges. Today, visitors can still see the tops of trees growing out of the lake—where the water is now more than 15 meters (50 feet) deep.

What scientists have learned by looking at Earth’s drought history is that periods of severe drought are a regular part of nature’s cycle. As devastating as droughts in the last century have been, they are considered relatively minor compared to the severity of earlier droughts that have lasted more than a century.

Major Droughts in the Past Century

The Dust Bowl of the 1930s is probably the most well-known drought experienced by the U.S. By 1934, 80 percent of the U.S. was struggling with moderate-to- severe drought conditions. The drought lasted nearly a decade and had devastating effects on crop production in the  Great Plains . The combination of lack of rain, high temperatures, and strong winds affected at least 50 million acres of land. Massive clouds of dust and sand formed as unusually strong winds lifted the dry soil into the air. These clouds could block out the sun for days, giving the period the name “ dust bowl .” In 1934, one dust cloud infamously traveled 2,414 kilometers (1,500 miles), from the Great Plains to the eastern U.S.

Mass migration was an indirect effect of the Dust Bowl . Farmers and their families were forced to migrate to other areas in search of work, and by 1940, 2.5 million people had fled the Great Plains . Of those, 200,000 moved to California. The influx of migrants into existing economies already strained by the Great Depression led to a rise in conflict , unemployment , and  poverty .

In the 1950s, severe drought returned to the Great Plains and southwestern United States, affecting half of the continental U.S. Low rainfall and high temperatures caused the production of crops in some areas to drop nearly 50 percent. Hay became too expensive for ranchers, and they had to feed their cattle prickly pear cactus and molasses to keep them alive. By the end of the five-year drought in 1957, 244 of Texas’ 254 counties had been declared  federal   drought disaster areas .

In the late 1980s, the U.S. experienced one of the costliest drought in its history. The three-year spell of high temperatures and low rainfall ruined roughly $15 billion of crops in the  Corn Belt . The total of all the losses in energy, water,  ecosystems , and  agriculture  is estimated at $39 billion. Federal assistance programs were able to help many farmers , but a longer-lasting drought would make it more difficult for the government to provide nationwide aid.

Droughts continue to affect the U.S. Texas has been suffering from drought since 2010, with 2011 ranking as the driest year in the state’s history. A September 2012  National Geographic  magazine article called Texas “The New Dust Bowl.” By 2013, 99 percent of the state was dealing with drought.

Australia is also a frequent victim of drought . The last decade has been especially severe , earning it the name The Big Dry or The Millennium Drought . Much of the country was placed under water restrictions, wildfires spread in the dry weather , and the water level in some  dams fell to 25 percent. In 2007, 65 percent of viable land in Australia was declared to be in a drought . The drought was officially declared over in April 2012.

Droughts that occur in the  developing world  can cause even greater devastation. The Sahel region in Africa, which includes eight countries, endured a series of droughts in the 1970s and 1980s where annual rainfall dropped by about 40 percent. In the early 1970s, more than 100,000 people died and millions of people were forced to migrate. Conditions continue to be critical in the area due to drought , overpopulation, failing crops , and high food prices. Drought emergencies for the region have been declared four times since 2000.

The  Horn of Africa , which includes the countries of Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, and Djibouti, is particularly vulnerable to droughts . Because almost 80 percent of the population is rural and depends on agriculture for food and income, famine often accompanies drought .

Struggles for the region’s limited, remaining resources can lead to conflict and war. In 1984 and 1985, the Horn of Africa suffered one of the worst droughts of the 20th century. The U.N. estimates that in Ethiopia alone, 1 million people died, 1.5 million livestock died, and 8.7 million people were affected by the drought—including being hospitalized, forced to migrate, or forced to change professions. In Sudan, 1 million people died, at least 7 million livestock died, and 7.8 million people were affected.

The cycle of drought-famine-conflict has persisted in the region, with drought conditions returning every few years since 2000. In 2006, drought affected 11 million people across the Horn of Africa, and the resulting crisis killed between 50,000 and 100,000 people and affected more than 13 million.

Forecasting and Measuring Drought

Even though scientists are unable to predict how long a drought will last or how severe it will be, early warning systems and  monitoring tools can  minimize  some of drought ’s damaging impacts. There are a number of tools used to monitor drought across the U.S. Due to the limitations of each system, data from different sources are often compiled to create a more comprehensive  forecast .

The Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), developed in 1965 by the  National Weather Service , is the most commonly used drought monitor . It is a complex measurement system and an effective way to forecast long-term drought . Its limitations are that it does not provide early warnings for drought and is not as accurate for use in mountainous areas because it does not account for snow (only rain) as precipitation . The PDSI is often used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine when to begin providing drought relief.

Information from the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is often used to supplement the PDSI data . The SPI, developed in 1993, is less complex than the PDSI and only measures precipitation —not evaporation or water  runoff . Many scientists prefer using the SPI because the time period being analyzed can easily be  customized . The SPI can also identify droughts many months earlier than the PDSI. The National Drought Mitigation Center uses the SPI to monitor drought conditions around the U.S.

The U.S. Drought Monitor , started in 1999, is a joint effort between three U.S. government agencies—the Department of Agriculture , the Department of Commerce, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Monitor   synthesizes data from  academic  and federal scientists into a weekly map indicating levels of dryness around the country. It is designed to be a blend of science and art that can be used as a general summary of drought conditions around the country. It is not meant to be used as a drought predictor or for detailed information about specific areas.

The Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) monitors satellite data of crops and rainfall across Africa and some parts of Central America, the Middle East , and Central Asia. Analysis of the data allows for early intervention to try to prevent drought -induced famine .

Preparing for Drought

People and governments need to adopt new practices and policies to prepare as much as possible for inevitable future droughts . Emergency spending once a crisis has begun is less effective than money spent in preparation. The  Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)  estimates that every $1 spent in planning for a natural hazard will save $4 in the long term.

Many areas are extremely vulnerable to drought as people continue to be dependent on a steady supply of water. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends a series of  conservation  practices to help farmers prepare for drought . Some preventative measures include in stalling an  efficient   irrigation system that reduces the amount of water lost to evaporation , storing water in ditches along fields, regularly monitoring soil moisture, planting crops that are more drought -resistant, and rotating crops to allow water in the soil to increase.

In  urban areas , many cities are promoting water conservation by addressing water usage habits. Some enforce water restrictions, such as limiting days when lawns and plants can be watered, and offering free high-efficiency toilets and kitchen faucets.

Some drought-ravaged cities are taking even more extreme measures to prepare for future droughts. In Australia, the city of Perth is planning for a massive wastewater -recycling program that will eventually provide up to a quarter of the city’s water demands by 2060. Perth has been dealing with a decline in rainfall since the mid 1970s. The city, which is on the edge of a huge desert, is also struggling with its history of over-consumption of water. Water-hungry traditions such as planting large, lush lawns and parks will need to be addressed through conservation measures.

Drought in the USA In August 2012, drought conditions extended over 70 percent of the United States. Counties in 33 states were designated “disaster counties” by the government. In the beginning of 2013, drought still affected more than 60 percent of the country.

Dust Bowl John Steinbeck’s 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath describes the Dust Bowl drought of the 1930s: “Every moving thing lifted the dust into the air: a walking man lifted a thin layer as high as his waist, and a wagon lifted the dust as high as the fence tops, and an automobile boiled a cloud behind it. The dust was long in setting back again.”

Yunnan Drought

The ongoing drought in Yunnan Province, China, has forced some families to transport water from more than 10 kilometers (6 miles) away.

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Essay on Drought

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Drought is a disaster which affects many regions of India every year. A natural disaster which leads to a shortage of water for drinking, agriculture and other practices is called a drought. However, we are yet to come up with some concrete measure in order to avoid this adverse situation through which the people have to go through each year.

Audience: The below given essays are exclusively written for school students (Class 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 Standard) and college students.

Drought is a severe condition in which some regions face a heavy shortage of water. There are some countries which are nowadays struggling with an insufficient amount of water. This situation occurs due to factors like climate change, deforestation or global warming.

In some areas, starvation as a result of drought, leads to the death of several people. Drought also affect the production of crops, causes forest fires and leads to insufficient electricity production.

It is important to adopt some solutions to tackle this issue. We can use methods like rainwater harvesting, seawater desalination or grow more plants and trees. The whole world is familiar with the misuse of water resources which needs to be overcome in order to prevent droughts.

The prolonged absence of rain or the lack of natural sources of water can bring about a drought. This natural phenomenon has been occurring all through the history of mankind and it has shaped many civilizations in the past. Droughts are something that people fear and it is also something that can be brought about by our actions towards our surrounding. One is compelled by practical reason to consider what actions can bring about potentially cataclysmic events like droughts and since I am still a student there is a lot I can do, further on as I go through life, to contribute to reasonable water usage.

The earth has its own principle of functioning and it changes our surrounding often and without warning, that’s why droughts sometimes happen even though we do nothing, in particular, to make them come about. When such events occur, people use different techniques to find alternative sources of water. The best we can do in such situations is to find tools that we can use to help us predict what the movement of water will be, or how much rain will fall.

On the other hand, we tend to misuse our natural resources and to drain them. That is why the recent decades have seen many rivers dry out due to our extensive agricultural needs. The lack of water brought about droughts in many regions that were previously famed for their natural wealth. Thankfully, people are becoming aware of how they are behaving and through this awareness, we are developing new methods for water use and distribution, it is up to us to implement those changes and make fear of the great drought a thing of the past.

“Drought” which results from the shortage of water due to lack of rainfall. The situation is challenging and can prove to be catastrophic for those living in the drought-affected areas.

Causes of Drought:

The Marathwada region of Maharashtra suffers from “drought” condition every year. There are various factors responsible for causing a “drought” like situation.

Some of these are discussed below:

1. Deforestation:

The main cause of “drought” is deforestation, which leads to a shortage of rainfall. Trees and shrubs hold the ground water, prevent it from evaporation and attracts rainfall. Deforestation is carried out to clear the land for farming, industrialization and urbanization. The soil in these areas loses its capacity to hold water, which also leads to “drought” condition. The devastating flood in the beautiful state of Kerala has become one of the biggest catastrophe in recent times.

2. Diminishing Water Bodies:

The usage of water bodies like rivers and lakes is done on a huge scale. During scorching summers these rivers and lakes are dried which result in dreadful “droughts”. Due to extreme climatic condition and various human activities, the water in these water bodies dries down which leads to “drought”. Wells are also a main sources of water in various regions in the country. Villages and towns in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat are facing life threatening situation where water in the wells has dried up. People in these villages stand in long queues to purchase water for drinking and daily needs.

Effects of Drought:

The farming sector in India is the most vulnerable to the climatic condition. Most of the agriculture in India is dependent on rainfall and ground water. “Drought” like situation has tremendously affected the farming sector and animal husbandry in India. The scorching sun sucks the ground water and becomes fatal to the cattle.

Measures to Prevent Drought:

Droughts can be prevented by –

i. Planting more trees.

ii. Implementing water conservation techniques.

iii. Reducing wastage of water and water pollution.

Conclusion:

Although initiatives like the “Paani Foundation” are being taken to mitigate “drought” condition in India but not much is done till date. As a responsible citizen we must contribute to the efforts taken to combat “drought” condition so that our future generations will not face such crisis.

The problem of drought is very severe and there are plenty of different provinces in India which are being largely impacted. It is really important for people at large to understand that the time calls for taking some strict measures at the earliest.

We have exploited mother earth in a ruthless manner and owing to the anthropogenic exploitation; the natural balance of the ecosystem has been disturbed. This in turn has led to plenty of troubles which include drought.

Drought – Getting Familiar:

Drought mainly refers to the condition wherein the area receives almost negligible to nil rainfall making it a dry period. This can be really deadly for the farmers as most of the harvest won’t ripen and it has several adverse consequences. Granted there are artificial methods of irrigation and the option of water supply but not all farmers have access to these facilities. This infers that drought ends up wrecking havoc on their finances and the families of the farmers sometimes even end up committing suicide or dying because of starvation.

Remedial Measures:

This brings us to the question as to what can be done to remedy the situation of drought. The answerer lies in helping the environment. The environment has the power to heal itself, but we need to be supportive in our approach. It is extremely important to understand the grave concerns and the bleak future that awaits us.

Drought isn’t the only calamity which we are facing. The increased frequency of earthquakes, flash floods, depleting ice cover, striking change in climates are all symbolic of the piteous condition of our environment. Until and unless, we manage to educate the masses and enlighten them about the need to have a green cover and preserve the environment, the frequency of drought and other calamities will continue to be on the rise. More and more measures need to be taken and the ruthless exploitation of the environment needs to stop right away.

We know that it is easier said than done but the change needs to start from somewhere. You should make it a point to understand the possible areas wherein you can bring a change. Try by curtailing the cutting down of trees even if it is for development purpose. Use measures to combat pollution and stop the use of non bio-degradable products. It is the collective efforts which will end up making a huge difference.

Drought is a natural calamity which is an impending sign of the dark future which this planet might be enveloped in if we do not take the right action now!

What is a drought? As per the given definitions, it is a natural disaster resulting in scarcity of water for drinking, agriculture and industrial purposes. But, given the current scenario, is it actually a natural disaster. This may not be completely true as human activities over a period of time have resulted in altering of nature’s natural phenomenon and today we see droughts occurring at places which were once abundant with water resources. Hence there is a strong need to understand the causes of drought and what can be done to prevent or minimize it.

Drought Prone Regions in India:

Some states of India have been declared as drought-prone due to the frequent occurrence of drought year after year in these states. These states are Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra and Northern Karnataka. Apart from these many regions, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and parts of other states are also affected by drought every year.

India is a land which is dependent on monsoon rainfall for adequacy of water. Hence inadequate rainfall is considered as the major reason for drought in most parts of the country. However, this is again a subject of debate as to why there has been insufficient rainfall for quite some years now. Another reason is the drip in the water table and consequently less water vapour in the atmosphere which is responsible for the formation of clouds.

Again global warming has led to changes in the normal climatic conditions and with the increase in temperatures; there has been a significant effect on the monsoon season in India as well. Moreover, high sea temperatures have led to the El Nino effect taking place which has further affected the onset of monsoon season. All these factors combined with improper agricultural practices and increase in pollution levels have contributed to the reduction in the monsoon rainfall which has led to drought each year in many areas in India.

What should be done?

There is an urgent need to have measures in place in order to save the regions of India from drought. One of the major plans of the Government in this regard is the linking of rivers. If we are able to link the rivers we can divert excess rivers from region to the drought-affected areas and save them from this disaster. Another important measure is to have proper irrigation methods in place so as to utilize water only as much as it is required. Moreover, extracting of water through tube wells and other sources should be checked into as this leads to drip in the water table which triggers the onset of drought.

Last, but not least, it is not the responsibility of the government alone to have measures in place to prevent regions from being affected by drought, we all should ensure that we save water to the maximum and follow the rules as laid down by the Government. We should do rainwater harvesting as well so that we store the water provided to us by nature which shall be helpful in difficult times. A collective effort by all can surely be helpful in minimizing if not preventing the situation as adverse as drought.

Introduction:

Drought is a miserable condition caused due to lack of water in a particular region or country or territory for a long period of time. Drought is a natural calamity in which there is scarcity of water everywhere even for the basic needs. People in many countries suffer due to drought and many lose their lives since lack of water leads to lack of food. The impact of drought is very horrible and sometimes it becomes difficult for the affected country to recover to a normal state.

The main reason for drought to occur is the absence of rain. When the normally falling rain fails for a few months then there arises water scarcity. Wells become dry and people and other living beings start to move from one place to another in search of water.

Although lack of rainfall is the main cause for drought , there are also other causes that lead to such a condition.

The various causes of drought are:

Now-a-days people are mis-treating the environment. Why there is no rain? What causes rain? Everyone should ask these questions to themselves to know the real cause of drought. Trees are the main source of rainfall. When we cut trees for constructing buildings, we are not only removing the vegetation and greenery but also removing the main source of rainfall from the Earth.

2. Draining of Surface Water:

Rivers, lakes, ponds are the natural ways by which water is stored in the Earth. Activities like excessive irrigation, excessive use of water for industrial purposes drains the surface water from these natural reservoirs and cause a condition known as drought. Rise in temperature due to global warming is also a cause for draining of water.

Impacts of Drought:

The impact caused by drought is so huge that many countries that faces drought year on year still remains as under-developed countries. The day-to-day activities of the people get stopped. The severity of drought can even take many lives. Let us look into some of the major impacts:

1. Heavy Loss to Farmers:

Agriculture is the source of living for the farmers. Periodic rainfall and the availability of ground water is very much important for agriculture. Drought impacts farmers the most because if there is no rainfall, agriculture fails. There is no yield, plants die, livestock suffers and farmers end up with no income. They get debts to try other ways and make their living but when everything goes out of control, they have no other way than to end their lives. Severe droughts lead to increase in the number of farmer suicides.

2. Loss of Wildlife:

It is during the time of drought, forest fires start occurring. Since everything is dry, fire catches up very easily. The life of wild animals is at huge risk; some get burnt in the forest fires and some lose their habitat and have to move to some other place.

3. Soil Degradation:

Continuous drought will make the soil lose its moisture and fertility. We can see at many places where there are no rains, the lands will have cracks on them. Some areas regain their fertile soil after many years of rain but some totally lose their nature to yield crops.

4. Safety is at Risk:

The scarcity of food leads to increase in prices of commodities. As the droughts might have taken the employment of some, no income would push people to commit crimes such as theft.

There are some ways that people can try to manage drought. Few important ones are listed below: –

People can use rain water harvesting method to save and store rain water and use it at emergency times like drought.

Waste water must be collected, purified and re-used. The water thus stored can be used for watering plants and can be used for irrigation also.

Afforestation techniques can be adopted.

Drought has huge consequences but it is not the end. If everyone of us contribute their share in preserving the environment, then many hazards like drought can be managed very easily.

Drought is a natural disaster that occurs in some regions of the globe. Some regions are more prone to drought while other regions are not. In India, drought has been experienced and a lot of people have died. Drought causes death of humans, animals and plants due to the adverse conditions that are harsh to the ecosystem and limits survival. In disaster management, drought is considered among the threats to human and animal life. Drought is defined as a prolonged period of inadequate water and food. The periods of drought vary but lack of water for over two weeks is considered drought.

During drought, the ecosystem is negatively affected that is why agriculture is compromised and it results in lack of food. The effects of drought are both to the animate and inanimate objects in the environment. Drought is handled by disaster management teams by provision of water and food to the affected people and prevention of further effects like fires on dry vegetation. Drought can occur naturally due to dry seasons or can result from human activities that causes a change in climate.

Lack of rainfall for long periods of time results in drought. Rain formation or precipitation processes require moisture accumulation in the atmosphere or on the ground as ice. Sunshine and winds can affect the precipitation processes as it affects the formation of water.

Another cue of drought is the natural dry seasons whereby low humidity is experienced. During the dry season, water sources dry up due to high temperatures that increase vaporization. In the high demand for vapor, extreme measures like drawing water from plants is reached which results in death of those plants.

Human activities could also result in drought. Agriculture and human settlements result in deforestation. Deforestations predispose the environment to erosion of soil and vegetation destruction. The lack of vegetation and forests causes decreased rainfall in the region and could cause drought occurrence.

Climatic changes also result in drought. Human activities like emission of greenhouse gases to the environment has caused global warming. In global warming, climate change is experienced such that the temperatures on the surface of the earth are raised. Raised temperatures result in increased vaporization and depletion of water from rivers, boreholes. Effects of global warming have been determined to be either extremes of rainfall or drought.

Consequences of Drought:

Drought causes adverse effect on the ecosystem. Interruption and loss of biodiversity is experienced during drought because animals of several species die due to lack of water and food. Also, the living things like trees and vegetation die. Diseases also arise during seasons of drought that affect living things and cause death. Extinction of rare species is common during seasons of drought.

The losses experienced in the economy during drought are substantial. Drought causes death and deterioration of plants thus decreasing the agricultural economical activities. There will be inflation of food production costs and diminished water economic activities like tourism and energy production.

Health of both animals and plants is greatly affected by drought. Drought effects cause diseases like dehydration and malnutrition that are debilitating to both humans and plants. Extreme hunger for humans and animals cause death.

Drought Management:

Once drought has occurred, the protection of people and animals should be done. In disaster management, the focus is on mitigating the consequences and providing life sustenance to those affected by the disaster. In agriculture, methods of irrigation and crop rotation have been implemented in arid areas so as to mitigate the consequences of drought. Water harvesting is also essential in preparation for drought. In water harvesting, construction of dams and boreholes in arid areas has been helpful during seasons of drought.

Erosion is minimized through crop rotation. Water conservation methods like recycling and outdoor use restrictions have been employed in arid areas.

In conclusion, drought is a natural disaster whose effects are adverse and cause loss of life. The management of drought generally involves the water conservation, storage and expansion of sources of water. The consequences of drought are deleterious and destruct the ecosystem and loss of biodiversity.

In order to reduce the consequences of drought, several measures have been put in place. Disaster management teams have conducted projects for water conservation for use during drought like by constructing dams. Mitigating the consequences of drought also involved the inhibition of causes of drought. Mitigation of erosion through planting enough vegetation to prevent erosion goes a long way in preventing drought. Human activities should also be controlled.

Drought can simply be defined as a form of natural disaster that is a result of the precipitation in a particular region below average which results in prolonged periods of water supply shortage, be it ground water, surface water or rainfall water. Droughts can go on for a lot of months or even years; it is most times declared and claimed after about just 15 days.

The agriculture and ecosystem of a particular region can be substantially impacted by drought and this can lead to a great deal of harm on the economy of the region. It has been discovered that the probability of a drought taking place and bush fires occurring is increased significantly by the dry seasons annually. Drought conditions are significantly worsened by long heat periods and this is as a result of the hastened evaporation of vapours of water.

There are a lot of species of plants like the Cactaceae family that have adaptations for the tolerance of drought (like a reduce area of leaf and cuticles that are waxy to help improve their drought tolerance ability). There are other species of plants that survive periods of droughts as seeds that are buried.

Grasslands and Deserts are examples of arid biomes that are produced by droughts that are semi-permanent. Humanitarian crisis and mass migrations are caused by prolonged droughts. Majority of ecosystems that are arid have very low productivity. The world experienced its longest period of drought in Atacama Desert of Chile and the drought lasted for about 400 years.

There are a lot of causes of drought.

A few out of the many causes will be discussed below:

1. Climate Changes:

Droughts are triggered by all the various activities that result in climate change globally and this can have a very strong effect on agriculture all over the world most especially in countries that are developing. Global warming and climate change will bring about an imbalance in the ecosystem.

There is going to be erosion and flooding in some regions and drought in other regions. Therefore, it is quite obvious that climate change and global are one of the leading causes of drought in the world today.

2. Deficiency in Precipitation:

Precipitation is produced through mechanisms including orographic rainfall, strati-form rainfall and convective rainfall. The processes of convective rainfall involve vertical motions that are strong and can lead to the atmosphere overturning in that particular location in about an hour, causing heavy precipitation. The processes of stratiform precipitation involve upward motions that are weaker, a little bit less intense and can last a duration that is longer.

We can divide precipitation into about three categories; this is based on if it falls in form of liquid water, water in liquid form that freezes when it comes in contact with a surface and ice. Droughts mainly occur in areas that the normal rainfall levels are quite low. If the factors in the region do not help the volume of precipitation in a way that they can get to the surface in time, drought occurs. Drought can also be triggered through a very high reflected sunlight level.

3. Dry Season:

In the tropic regions, we have distinct dry and wet seasons and this is as a result of the Monsoon trough. The occurrence of drought is greatly increased during dry seasons, this season is known by the very low humidity and rivers and watering holes drying up. As a result of the inadequacy of watering holes and rivers, a lot of animals that graze migrate because of the absence of water and move to areas that are more fertile. Some of the animals that do this include wildebeest, elephants, zebra and cattle.

As a result of the absence of water, bushfires are very common during this season. Because of the increased temperature, the water vapour tend to become more energetic, to increase the relative humidity to 100%, required water vapour is more. When it is warm, the rate of vegetable and fruit production is increased and this causes an increase in transpiration and evaporation from plants leading to drought conditions that are worse.

Types of Drought :

With the persistence of drought, all of the various conditions that surround it worsen gradually and the effect on the region increases gradually.

There are three major types of droughts:

i. Meteorological drought is a type of drought that occurs anytime we have a prolonged period of below average rainfall or precipitation. It is common for meteorological drought to precede other types of drought.

ii. Agricultural drought is a type of drought that affects the ecology and production of crops in a particular region. Agricultural drought can also happen independently as a result of a change in the levels of precipitation when erosion and soil conditions that are triggered by agricultural endeavours that are poorly planned lead to a drop in the amount of water that is available for crop use. However, traditional droughts are caused by a period of precipitation that is below average.

iii. Hydrological drought is a type of drought that occurs when the available water reserves in sources like reservoirs, lakes and aquifers drop below average. Hydrological drought takes a lot of time to manifest since it deals with water that has been stored and is used and not replenished.

The effects of water shortages can be grouped into three namely:

i. Social effects

ii. Economic effects

iii. Environmental effects

Droughts can also cause wars, wildfires, social unrest, and drop in electricity production, mass migration, hunger, famine and so many more.

Prevention Measures:

Prevention measures include:

i. Building of Dams

ii. Cloud seeding

iii. Desalination

iv. Proper Drought monitoring

v. Proper Land use

vi. Rainwater harvesting

vii. Restriction of water use outdoors

viii. Use of Recycled water

Drought can be very detrimental to the ecosystem and can also have a lot of effects. It is therefore extremely necessary that we do our possible best to battle drought and try to employ methods of drought relief, mitigation methods to prevent drought.

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Droughts 101

Droughts can cause a variety of problems to local communities, including damage to ecosystems, crops, and a shortage of drinking water.

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Science News Explores

Scientists say: drought.

A drought is a period of unusually dry weather

When droughts lead to water shortages, it’s harder for crops and other plants to grow.

Guido Mieth/Getty Images

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By Maria Temming

December 12, 2022 at 6:30 am

Drought (noun, “DROWT”)

A drought is a period of unusually dry weather that lasts long enough to cause water shortages. These periods of little rainfall or snowfall can last weeks, months or even years. And they can happen anywhere in the world. Some 55 million people are affected by droughts each year.

Changes in the wind patterns that push clouds and moisture around the atmosphere can cause droughts. Rising temperatures due to climate change are also making droughts longer and more likely. That’s a problem because droughts have many harmful effects. They dry out soil, damaging crops. Dry vegetation and hot weather increase the risk of wildfires. Droughts also shrink the water supply for people and animals. For the last 20 years, the western United States has been in a historic drought. To make sure there’s enough water to go around, some places have limited how much water each person can use.

In a sentence

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What is Drought, its types, causes and effects

Drought is one of the natural disasters that can be reverted by nature itself. Even though it is a natural disaster, it is one that can be prevented by man up to a certain extent. In this article, we will see what drought is, its types , causes and effects .

Drought is a temporary situation in which there is the rainfall is below normal that leads to water shortage. Even though it doesn’t affect much initially, it has serious consequences. The precipitation becomes low which affects the ground and surface water. The entire area dries up and cracks are formed on the ground. This situation can last for months and sometimes even years. It comes under the category of natural disaster owing to changes in climate and global warming .

Table of Contents

TYPES OF DROUGHT

• Agricultural drought : this is type of drought in which the moisture level in the atmosphere minimizes which in turn affects the soil moisture. This in turn affects the agricultural productivity. The produce becomes considerably low which widens the gap between demand and supply of food.
• Meteorological drought : This occurs due to the change in weather patterns due to drastic changes. The humidity increases, the rainfall becomes low, the temperature rises, water shortage and dry winds are the common characteristics of meteorological drought.
• Hydrological drought : this is a type of drought in which there is considerable decrease in the level of water in lakes, ponds and rivers due to less rainfall and increase in temperature. Prolonged metrological drought can lead to hydrological drought.
• Socioeconomic drought : This occurs due to the gap between the demand and supply of goods and commodities increases owing to shift in meteorological and hydrological drought. This can also happen due to increase in population and decrease in the amount of rainfall.

CAUSES OF DROUGHT

• Low rainfall : the main reason for drought is low or lack of rainfall. If a region or area goes for a long period of time without much rainfall, water deficiency occurs in that area. So thus this area comes under the category of drought.
• Global warming : due to excessive emission of green house gases , the composition of the atmosphere changes leading to the increase in temperature thus causing global warming. The temperature rise leads dry spells and wildfires. Thus global warming adds up to drought.
• Human causes : humans play a major role in maintaining water table. Human activities like construction, urbanization and deforestation has had negative impact on the environment and climate. There is considerable decrease in the level of water table owing to excessive evaporation due to heat. Cutting down of trees for roadways, airways and construction of buildings have considerably reduced the water holding capacity of the soil. Overall the soil loses its credibility resulting in dry spells.
• The surface water flow dries easily : due the excessive irrigation and construction of hydro electric dams, the water that flows in the downstream reduces. Rivers, lakes and streams are the main source of downstream. Due to these human activities, the surface water may even evaporate leading to drought.

EFFECTS OF DROUGHT

• Desertification : this is a situation in which the soil becomes incapable due to its infertility and becomes bare land. Over grazing can also lead to desertification. Apart from all these, severe drought can also lead to desertification of the land and it becomes unsuitable for any vegetation. The possibility of survival of any vegetation is impossible.
• Water bodies dry up : because of drought, the water bodies like lake, rivers, ponds and streams dries up quickly. The natural habitat gets disturbed. The wildlife, aquatic life, forests and all gets endangered due to this process. The entire ecosystem and the natural life cycle get disrupted.
• Reduction in crop yields : during drought, the agricultural yields reduce considerably. This increases the gap between the demand and supply of crops. The farmers have to incur a huge loss i.e. pay more for the labor with fewer outcomes in yields.
• Migration and death of animals : due to drought in an areas, the animals are forced to leave their habitat and move to new areas where there is water and food. As far as animals are concerned, it is very difficult for them to adjust to newer environment. It can also lead to the death of many animals because of the loss in natural biodiversity.
• Monetary loss : the monetary loss incurred during a drought is very high. The loss is incurred by businesses, families, government and even individuals at lower levels.
• Waterborne diseases spread : the quality of the water decreases due to water scarcity. The available clean water will not be sufficient for drinking and cooking purposes. Chemicals and impurities mixed with the water will be widely used owing to the spread of waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid.
• Migration of people : people are force to migrate to better conditions at the time of drought. This mainly affects the livelihood of the poor farmers who wholly depend upon their agriculture for a living. Because of the loss incurred, the family has to undergo through a lot of stress and strain which leads them to do other jobs. Elderly people, children and women are the most affected during a drought.
• Malnutrition and deaths : many people die during drought because of hunger and malnutrition. The major reason behind this is the non availability of food. Such situations are usually seen in poorer countries.
• Hydroelectric power becomes expensive : because of the dry spells and lowered water levels in dams and rivers that were used to generate hydro electricity, more energy should be utilized for the same. So the power generated at a cheaper rate has to be given t a higher rate due to shortage of water. Due to the huge loss in incurred by the energy industries that utilize hydroelectric power.

TO CONCLUDE-

Drought is a natural disaster due to manmade causes that has to be dealt with globally. Proper measures should be implemented by the government to check misuse of water available. The water resources should be properly used without wastage. More and more trees should be planted so as to maintain the credibility of the soil. Planting of trees is very important to maintain the water table beneath. The emission of green house gases should be banned so as to reduce global warming and drastic change in climate. Rain water should be harvested in each and every household so that water can be used for summer seasons. Drip irrigation should be practiced in farming so that very less amount is wasted in the agricultural lands. Waste can be effectively managed so that it can be reused for many other useful purposes.  The soil moisture should be checked regularly so that early sighs of drought gets indicated. Awareness programs should be conducted regularly so that people will be aware of the importance of water. If all these are followed, water scarcity can be tackled to a great extent. This can build up  healthier generations.

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Latest Articles

Environmental.

A  natural disaster  is a major adverse event. Disaster results from natural processes of the Earth. Droughts are one of them. Drought is basically the unusual dryness of the soil.

                                                                                                      Droughts

Introduction to Droughts

Drought is shortly the unusual dryness of soil due to the levels of rainfall. Drought occurs when rainfall is significantly below average over a prolonged period. It is an event of shortages in the water supply, surface water, or groundwater. A drought can last for years, months or days.

Shortage of water, Dry and hot winds, rise in temperature, and consequent evaporation of moisture from the ground contribute to conditions of drought. Droughts also result in crop failure too. Droughts have a major impact on the  ecosystem  and agriculture of the affected regions. Also, droughts harm the local economy of the region. Droughts are considered a natural disaster as it disturbs our whole ecosystem.

Drought is considered as the recurring feature of the climate in most parts of the world. These days regular droughts have become more extreme and more unpredictable because of climatic changes. Also, studies based on dendrochronology, confirm that the drought-affected by global warming goes back to 1900.

Millennium Drought in Australia (1997–2009) is a well-known historical drought. The drought led to a water supply crisis across the country. As a result of it, many desalination plants were built for the first time. These plants are meant for the process of removing salt from seawater. The State of Texas in 2011, lived under a drought emergency declaration for the whole year. The state suffered severe economic losses. If ant time drought persists, the conditions surrounding the region gradually worsen and its impact on the local population gradually increases day by day.

Types of Droughts

Meteorological drought.

This type of drought occurs when there is a prolonged time with less than average rainfall. Meteorological drought usually paves the way for other kinds of drought.

Agricultural Drough t

This type of drought affects crop production or the ecology of the range. The conditions of drought can arise independently due to any change in precipitation levels, irrigation, or soil conditions.  Erosion occurs because of poorly planned agricultural attempts. This causes a shortfall in water available to the crops causes drought. However, the traditional drought occurs due to an extended period of below-average rainfall.

Hydrological Drought

This type of drought occurs when the water reserves available to us fall below a significant threshold. These sources are that are aquifers, lakes and reservoirs fall. Hydrological drought tends to show up more slowly.

This slow pace of drought is because it involves stored water that is used but not replenished from sources. Like an agricultural drought, this can be triggered by more than just a loss of rainfall. For example, around 2007 Kazakhstan was given a large amount of money by the World Bank to restore water that had been diverted to other nations from the Aral Sea under Soviet rule.

Causes of Drought

A drought is mainly the cause of drier conditions. It is comparable to normal conditions that eventually lead to water supply problems. Really hot temperatures which eventually cause the moisture to evaporate from the soil can make drought worse. If any region is hot and dry, it doesn’t always mean that it is going through a drought. The dry season greatly increases drought occurrence. It is characterized by its low humidity, with watering holes and cracks, and rivers drying up. Due to the lack of these watering holes, many animals unwillingly migrate. This migration is due to the lack of water in search of more fertile lands.

Land and water temperatures cause droughts. As the temperature increases, more water evaporates and severe weather conditions also increase. Landscapes and crops need more water for their survival and growth and thus the overall demand for water increases gradually. Drought also occurs by air circulation and weather patterns. The water we have today is all the water we ever have now. Water available is moved by the weather patterns in the air all around. This is changing constantly.

Soil moisture levels also lead to drought. There is the evaporation of water for the creation of clouds when the soil moisture depletes. Demand, need, and supply of water issues are also a cause of droughts. The demand for water by people can worsen the situation depending on how the region reacts. Especially when the weather conditions, temperatures, or air patterns push a region toward a drought. Excessive irrigation is excellent for papa contributing to drought.

FAQs on Droughts

Question 1: What are the consequences of drought?

Answer: Some common consequences of drought are:

• Diminished crop growth or yield productions.
• Dust bowls and Dust storms, when drought hits an area suffering from desertification and erosion.
• Habitat damage – affecting terrestrial and aquatic wildlife.
• Hunger– drought provides too little water for food crops and human beings.
• Malnutrition, dehydration and related diseases is a major consequence.
• Mass migration of people in search of food and water is very common.
• Shortages of water for industrial and domestic purposes.
• Fight over natural resources, including water and food.

Question 2: Is drought a natural disaster or a man-made disaster?

Answer: A natural hazard is a threat of a naturally occurring event that has a negative impact on the environment, humans, and their survival. This negative effect is a natural disaster. In simple words when the hazardous threat eventually happens and harms human life, we call the event a natural disaster.

Drought is a natural disaster. Lack of precipitation for a protracted period of time causes drought. This results in a water shortage which affects the ecosystem. While droughts occur naturally, human activity, such as water use and water management, can exacerbate the dry conditions of the region.

Question 3: How to prevent droughts.

Answer: To deal effectively with the drought, here are some measures:

• Interlinking of national water resources (rivers).
• Agriculture and irrigation patterns need change.
• Water transportation channels need to be maintained properly. Leakages are bad.
• Water-intensive industries should be away from water deficit regions.
• Accumulating as much as rainwater we could. Improving rain harvesting infrastructure. Building more check dams, a small run of the river projects, more farm-lakes, improving water table, using mulching techniques in farms.
• Water meters need to be in a place like electricity meters. Asking someone not to consume excess water unnecessarily has not given good results so far. Nobody can count water a water meter will do that.
• Have water trains on standby. Attach them to the units of disaster management teams. As soon as a possibility of drought arises in a region, the water train can reach there.
• We need to prevent deforestation and thus we require afforestation.
• Judicious use of water. Awareness that wasted water won’t come back easily.

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Drought and Drought Mitigation in Europe pp 23–48 Cite as

Drought Definition: A Hydrological Perspective

• E. L. Tate 3 &
• A. Gustard 3  

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57 Citations

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Part of the book series: Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research ((NTHR,volume 14))

This paper summarises different techniques for defining a drought. Hydrologists as distinct from economists or social scientists define drought according to water deficits in some component of the hydrological cycle (precipitation, soil moisture, river flow and groundwater) or the impact on the level of service provided to public water supply, irrigation or hydropower demands. Generic features of droughts are their severity, frequency, duration and spatial extent. For operational purposes it is essential that a wide range of analytical procedures are used according to the response characteristics of the resource system. However, for comparisons of drought severity over time and between countries, there may be merit in applying simple procedures for drought frequency assessment.

• Drought Severity
• Drought Index
• Palmer Drought Severity Index
• Agricultural Drought

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Tate, E.L., Gustard, A. (2000). Drought Definition: A Hydrological Perspective. In: Vogt, J.V., Somma, F. (eds) Drought and Drought Mitigation in Europe. Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research, vol 14. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9472-1_3

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• Warning : Undefined array key "height" in template_preprocess_responsive_image() (line 210 of core/modules/responsive_image/responsive_image.module ). template_preprocess_responsive_image(Array) (Line: 101) Drupal\responsive_bg_image_formatter\Plugin\Field\FieldFormatter\ResponsiveBgImageFormatter->viewElements(Object, 'en') (Line: 91) Drupal\Core\Field\FormatterBase->view(Object, 'en') (Line: 76) Drupal\Core\Field\Plugin\Field\FieldFormatter\EntityReferenceFormatterBase->view(Object, NULL) (Line: 268) Drupal\Core\Entity\Entity\EntityViewDisplay->buildMultiple(Array) (Line: 339) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->buildComponents(Array, Array, Array, 'full') (Line: 24) Drupal\node\NodeViewBuilder->buildComponents(Array, Array, Array, 'full') (Line: 281) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->buildMultiple(Array) (Line: 238) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->build(Array) call_user_func_array(Array, Array) (Line: 111) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doTrustedCallback(Array, Array, 'Render #pre_render callbacks must be methods of a class that implements \Drupal\Core\Security\TrustedCallbackInterface or be an anonymous function. The callback was %s. See https://www.drupal.org/node/2966725', 'exception', 'Drupal\Core\Render\Element\RenderCallbackInterface') (Line: 859) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doCallback('#pre_render', Array, Array) (Line: 421) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 240) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array, ) (Line: 238) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\{closure}() (Line: 627) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->executeInRenderContext(Object, Object) (Line: 239) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->prepare(Array, Object, Object) (Line: 128) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->renderResponse(Array, Object, Object) (Line: 90) Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\MainContentViewSubscriber->onViewRenderArray(Object, 'kernel.view', Object) call_user_func(Array, Object, 'kernel.view', Object) (Line: 111) Drupal\Component\EventDispatcher\ContainerAwareEventDispatcher->dispatch(Object, 'kernel.view') (Line: 186) Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handleRaw(Object, 1) (Line: 76) Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 58) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\Session->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 48) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\KernelPreHandle->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 28) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ContentLength->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 32) Drupal\big_pipe\StackMiddleware\ContentLength->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 191) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->fetch(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 128) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->lookup(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 82) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 48) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ReverseProxyMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 51) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\NegotiationMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 36) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\AjaxPageState->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 51) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\StackedHttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 704) Drupal\Core\DrupalKernel->handle(Object) (Line: 19)
• Warning : Undefined array key "media" in Drupal\responsive_bg_image_formatter\Plugin\Field\FieldFormatter\ResponsiveBgImageFormatter->viewElements() (line 112 of modules/custom/responsive_bg_image_formatter/src/Plugin/Field/FieldFormatter/ResponsiveBgImageFormatter.php ). Drupal\responsive_bg_image_formatter\Plugin\Field\FieldFormatter\ResponsiveBgImageFormatter->viewElements(Object, 'en') (Line: 91) Drupal\Core\Field\FormatterBase->view(Object, 'en') (Line: 76) Drupal\Core\Field\Plugin\Field\FieldFormatter\EntityReferenceFormatterBase->view(Object, NULL) (Line: 268) Drupal\Core\Entity\Entity\EntityViewDisplay->buildMultiple(Array) (Line: 339) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->buildComponents(Array, Array, Array, 'full') (Line: 24) Drupal\node\NodeViewBuilder->buildComponents(Array, Array, Array, 'full') (Line: 281) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->buildMultiple(Array) (Line: 238) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->build(Array) call_user_func_array(Array, Array) (Line: 111) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doTrustedCallback(Array, Array, 'Render #pre_render callbacks must be methods of a class that implements \Drupal\Core\Security\TrustedCallbackInterface or be an anonymous function. The callback was %s. See https://www.drupal.org/node/2966725', 'exception', 'Drupal\Core\Render\Element\RenderCallbackInterface') (Line: 859) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doCallback('#pre_render', Array, Array) (Line: 421) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 240) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array, ) (Line: 238) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\{closure}() (Line: 627) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->executeInRenderContext(Object, Object) (Line: 239) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->prepare(Array, Object, Object) (Line: 128) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->renderResponse(Array, Object, Object) (Line: 90) Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\MainContentViewSubscriber->onViewRenderArray(Object, 'kernel.view', Object) call_user_func(Array, Object, 'kernel.view', Object) (Line: 111) Drupal\Component\EventDispatcher\ContainerAwareEventDispatcher->dispatch(Object, 'kernel.view') (Line: 186) Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handleRaw(Object, 1) (Line: 76) Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 58) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\Session->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 48) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\KernelPreHandle->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 28) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ContentLength->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 32) Drupal\big_pipe\StackMiddleware\ContentLength->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 191) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->fetch(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 128) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->lookup(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 82) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 48) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ReverseProxyMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 51) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\NegotiationMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 36) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\AjaxPageState->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 51) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\StackedHttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 704) Drupal\Core\DrupalKernel->handle(Object) (Line: 19)
• Deprecated function : str_replace(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($subject) of type array|string is deprecated in Drupal\responsive_bg_image_formatter\Plugin\Field\FieldFormatter\ResponsiveBgImageFormatter->viewElements() (line 126 of modules/custom/responsive_bg_image_formatter/src/Plugin/Field/FieldFormatter/ResponsiveBgImageFormatter.php ). Drupal\responsive_bg_image_formatter\Plugin\Field\FieldFormatter\ResponsiveBgImageFormatter->viewElements(Object, 'en') (Line: 91) Drupal\Core\Field\FormatterBase->view(Object, 'en') (Line: 76) Drupal\Core\Field\Plugin\Field\FieldFormatter\EntityReferenceFormatterBase->view(Object, NULL) (Line: 268) Drupal\Core\Entity\Entity\EntityViewDisplay->buildMultiple(Array) (Line: 339) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->buildComponents(Array, Array, Array, 'full') (Line: 24) Drupal\node\NodeViewBuilder->buildComponents(Array, Array, Array, 'full') (Line: 281) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->buildMultiple(Array) (Line: 238) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->build(Array) call_user_func_array(Array, Array) (Line: 111) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doTrustedCallback(Array, Array, 'Render #pre_render callbacks must be methods of a class that implements \Drupal\Core\Security\TrustedCallbackInterface or be an anonymous function. The callback was %s. See https://www.drupal.org/node/2966725', 'exception', 'Drupal\Core\Render\Element\RenderCallbackInterface') (Line: 859) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doCallback('#pre_render', Array, Array) (Line: 421) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 240) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array, ) (Line: 238) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\{closure}() (Line: 627) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->executeInRenderContext(Object, Object) (Line: 239) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->prepare(Array, Object, Object) (Line: 128) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->renderResponse(Array, Object, Object) (Line: 90) Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\MainContentViewSubscriber->onViewRenderArray(Object, 'kernel.view', Object) call_user_func(Array, Object, 'kernel.view', Object) (Line: 111) Drupal\Component\EventDispatcher\ContainerAwareEventDispatcher->dispatch(Object, 'kernel.view') (Line: 186) Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handleRaw(Object, 1) (Line: 76) Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 58) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\Session->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 48) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\KernelPreHandle->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 28) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ContentLength->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 32) Drupal\big_pipe\StackMiddleware\ContentLength->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 191) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->fetch(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 128) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->lookup(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 82) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 48) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ReverseProxyMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 51) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\NegotiationMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 36) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\AjaxPageState->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 51) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\StackedHttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 704) Drupal\Core\DrupalKernel->handle(Object) (Line: 19)
• Warning : Undefined variable $index in Drupal\responsive_bg_image_formatter\Plugin\Field\FieldFormatter\ResponsiveBgImageFormatter->viewElements() (line 153 of modules/custom/responsive_bg_image_formatter/src/Plugin/Field/FieldFormatter/ResponsiveBgImageFormatter.php ). Drupal\responsive_bg_image_formatter\Plugin\Field\FieldFormatter\ResponsiveBgImageFormatter->viewElements(Object, 'en') (Line: 91) Drupal\Core\Field\FormatterBase->view(Object, 'en') (Line: 76) Drupal\Core\Field\Plugin\Field\FieldFormatter\EntityReferenceFormatterBase->view(Object, NULL) (Line: 268) Drupal\Core\Entity\Entity\EntityViewDisplay->buildMultiple(Array) (Line: 339) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->buildComponents(Array, Array, Array, 'full') (Line: 24) Drupal\node\NodeViewBuilder->buildComponents(Array, Array, Array, 'full') (Line: 281) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->buildMultiple(Array) (Line: 238) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->build(Array) call_user_func_array(Array, Array) (Line: 111) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doTrustedCallback(Array, Array, 'Render #pre_render callbacks must be methods of a class that implements \Drupal\Core\Security\TrustedCallbackInterface or be an anonymous function. The callback was %s. See https://www.drupal.org/node/2966725', 'exception', 'Drupal\Core\Render\Element\RenderCallbackInterface') (Line: 859) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doCallback('#pre_render', Array, Array) (Line: 421) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 240) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array, ) (Line: 238) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\{closure}() (Line: 627) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->executeInRenderContext(Object, Object) (Line: 239) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->prepare(Array, Object, Object) (Line: 128) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->renderResponse(Array, Object, Object) (Line: 90) Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\MainContentViewSubscriber->onViewRenderArray(Object, 'kernel.view', Object) call_user_func(Array, Object, 'kernel.view', Object) (Line: 111) Drupal\Component\EventDispatcher\ContainerAwareEventDispatcher->dispatch(Object, 'kernel.view') (Line: 186) Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handleRaw(Object, 1) (Line: 76) Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 58) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\Session->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 48) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\KernelPreHandle->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 28) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ContentLength->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 32) Drupal\big_pipe\StackMiddleware\ContentLength->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 191) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->fetch(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 128) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->lookup(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 82) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 48) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ReverseProxyMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 51) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\NegotiationMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 36) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\AjaxPageState->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 51) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\StackedHttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 704) Drupal\Core\DrupalKernel->handle(Object) (Line: 19)

Flash Drought

Flash drought intensifies rapidly due to changes in precipitation, temperature, wind, and radiation. These changes in the weather increase evapotranspiration and lower soil moisture. Flash droughts can cause extensive damage to agriculture, economies, and ecosystems if they are not predicted and discovered early.

What Is Flash Drought?

Causes of flash drought, predicting flash drought, flash drought impacts, related content.

Flash drought is simply the rapid onset or intensification of drought. It is set in motion by lower-than-normal rates of precipitation, accompanied by abnormally high temperatures, winds, and radiation. Together, these changes in weather can rapidly alter the local climate.

Higher temperature increases evapotranspiration—the process by which water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil and by transpiration from plants—and further lowers soil moisture, which decreases rapidly as drought conditions continue.

If not predicted and discovered early enough, changes in soil moisture that accompany flash drought can cause extensive damage to agriculture, economies, and ecosystem goods and services.

NIDIS Flash Drought Workshops: Definitions, Impacts, and Research Needs

More research is needed to better define flash drought, fully capture flash drought impacts, and determine research and applications priorities. Since 2020, NIDIS has hosted two international Flash Drought Workshops, in 2020 and 2023 , to examine flash drought definitions and to coordinate and co-develop a research pathway to address the management and response challenges associated with flash drought. Read the 2nd National Flash Drought Workshop Report: Building on Progress and Looking Forward .

Or, view additional resources developed from these workshops: 

• Flash Drought Prediction and Monitoring Tools  (2023)
• Flash Drought Literature Review  (2021)
• Flash Drought Tools: Advantages and Disadvantages by Indicator Type  (2020)
• Flash Drought Research Priorities  (2020)

Unlike slow-evolving drought, which is caused by a decline in precipitation, flash drought occurs when low precipitation is accompanied by abnormally high temperatures (e.g., heat waves), high winds, and/or changes in radiation. These sometime-rapid changes can quickly raise evapotranspiration rates and remove available water from the landscape.

Geographic differences and climate patterns also impact the development of flash drought. In contrast with conventional drought—which may occur throughout the year at any location—flash drought typically occurs during warm seasons in the central United States. Widespread flash drought in the U.S. is often tied to La Niña events.

One study found that between 1979–2016, flash droughts in the western U.S. occurred more frequently in May and June, with the Northwest climate region seeing an additional peak at the end of the growing season. In contrast, flash drought frequency across the central and parts of the eastern U.S. peaked in July and August. The frequency of flash drought in the Southeast region generally peaked in May. For all climate regions, flash drought intensity tended to increase toward the beginning of the growing season and then decrease.

Key Takeaways

• Flash drought is often preceded by abnormally high temperatures (e.g., heat waves), high winds, and/or changes in radiation.
• Flash drought can also be tied to rhythmic climatic patterns, such as La Niña events.
• Unlike conventional drought, which can happen anywhere and at any time, flash drought typically occurs during warm seasons in the central United States.

The prediction of flash drought is critical to successfully mitigating and preventing damages whenever possible. Scientists have identified evapotranspiration and soil moisture as early warning indicators for the development of flash drought. Changes in evapotranspiration correspond with flash drought in the contiguous United States, indicating that it may be a primary mechanism involved in the sudden onset and intensification of drought conditions. 

In  one study, researchers found that all flash droughts studied were preceded by sudden increases in evapotranspiration rates caused by changes in heat, wind, and radiation. Soil moisture was plentiful prior to the onset of drought, but decreased as evapotranspiration rates rose. They concluded that changes in evapotranspiration rates are a strong indicator of flash drought ( Chen et al. 2020 ).

Despite the importance of prediction, scientists have found that flash droughts occur even when conditions just two months prior to the event appeared to be unfavorable for drought development, demonstrating that flash drought can occur even when there are no preceding signs that can be detected with known metrics ( Christian et al. 2019 ). Better prediction of flash droughts is an active area of research.  NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is currently working on an experimental rapid onset (flash) drought product as a component of their  Week-2 U.S. Hazards Outlook .

• Prediction of flash drought is critical to successful mitigation and damage prevention.
• Changes in the rate of evapotranspiration and soil moisture have been identified as key early warning indicators.
• Flash drought can occur even when no preceding signs are detected.

Flash drought occurs more often than many people realize and can cause major impacts. Significant negative impacts to the agricultural sector have been better documented than impacts to other sectors and the environment. Flash drought has occurred in the southeastern United States as recently as the fall of 2019. In a widespread flash drought across the central U.S. during the summer of 2012, damages in the central Great Plains were estimated to be in excess of $30 billion.

Although most flash droughts do not persist to become prolonged drought, in one study, 5 to 10 percent of flash droughts transitioned to the highest drought category given by the U.S. Drought Monitor: Exceptional Drought, or D4 ( Christian et al. 2019 ).

• Economic damages caused by flash droughts can be significant. More research is needed to fully capture the impacts of flash drought on all economic sectors and the environment.
• Although most flash droughts do not turn into conventional prolonged droughts, research indicates that 5 to 10 percent transitioned into the exceptional drought (D4) category.

2nd National Flash Drought Workshop Report: Building on Progress and Looking Forward NOAA/NIDIS

2nd National Flash Drought Workshop NOAA/NIDIS

2022 Webinar: Rapid Onset Drought Risk Inclusion in the U.S. Week-2 Hazards Outlook NOAA/NIDIS, National Weather Service

2021 Flash Drought Webinar Series NOAA/NIDIS, National Weather Service

2020 Flash Drought Virtual Workshop: Presentation and Materials NOAA/NIDIS

Making Sense of Flash Drought: Definitions, Indicators, and Where We Go from Here NOAA/NIDIS

Flash Drought: Lessons Learned From the 2017 Drought Across the U.S. Northern Plains and Canadian Prairies NOAA/NIDIS

Quick Drought Response Index (QuickDRI) The National Drought Mitigation Center

Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) National Drought Mitigation Center

Drought Impact Reporter National Drought Mitigation Center

Evaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI) NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory

The Evaporative Stress Index (Video) NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Content on this page excerpted and adapted from:

Regional Characteristics of Flash Droughts Across the United States Environmental Research Communications, 1 (12), 2019

Predicting Flash Drought NOAA/NIDIS | U.S. Drought Portal

Real-Time Prediction of Areas Susceptible to Flash Drought Development Atmosphere,   11 (10), 2020

Flash Drought Characteristics Based on U.S. Drought Monitor Atmosphere,   10 (9), 2019

Flash Drought Engulfs the U.S. Southeast in September 2019 NOAA | Climate.gov

What Does Flash Drought Look Like in Your Region? NOAA/NIDIS | U.S. Drought Portal

Flash Droughts over the United States  (PDF) NOAA National Weather Service,  Science and Technology Infusion Climate Bulletin

Data & Maps | Temperature & Precipitation

Access current, historical, and forecasted precipitation and temperature datasets and maps.

Data & Maps | Soil Moisture

Access tools to monitor observed data in crop, topsoil, and soil moisture, surface water, changes and anomalies, water storage, soil moisture outlooks, and more.

Research & Learn | Ecological Drought

Flash drought can quickly deplete soil moisture and dramatically increase evaporative stress on the environment. Learn more about ecological drought.

Looking for State or Local Maps?

The Current Conditions page features national conditions. You can also explore maps of current and future conditions by state , watershed , county , or city .

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of drought in English

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• as dry as a bone idiom
• bone dry idiom
• desertification
• desiccation
• dry (something) out
• dry something up
• high and dry

drought | American Dictionary

Examples of drought, collocations with drought.

These are words often used in combination with drought .

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

Translations of drought

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Questions and Answers about Droughts Active

This page offers some questions and answers about the hydrology of droughts. This information is taken from the web site of the U.S. Geological Survey Water Science Center in Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. Some content was modified and adapted to Puerto Rico.Droughts: Droughts: https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/droughts-things-know?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

What is a drought?

• What causes drought?

When does a drought begin?

Does a shortage of rain mean that a drought will occur?

Why doesn't a drought go away when it rains?

Can drought affect the water level in wells?

While it is relatively easy to define what a hurricane or earthquake is, defining a drought is more subjective. Droughts do not have the immediate effects of floods, but sustained droughts can cause economic stress throughout an area. The word "drought" has various meanings, depending on a person's perspective. To a farmer, a drought is a period of moisture deficiency that affects the crops under cultivation—even two weeks without rainfall can stress many crops during certain periods of the growing cycle. To a meteorologist, a drought is a prolonged period when precipitation is less than normal. To a water manager, a drought is a deficiency in water supply that affects water availability and water quality. To a hydrologist, a drought is an extended period of decreased precipitation and streamflow. Droughts in Puerto Rico have severely affected municipal and industrial water supplies, agriculture, stream water quality, recreation at major reservoirs, hydropower generation, and forest resources.

What causes droughts?

A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions that results in water-related problems. Precipitation falls in uneven patterns across the country. The amount of precipitation at a particular location varies from year to year, but over a period of years, the average amount is fairly constant. The spatial distribution of rainfall in Puerto Rico is variable. Rainfall is greatest in the Sierra de Luquillo rainforest in the eastern part of Puerto Rico. The mean annual total rainfall in Sierra de Luquillo is 169 inches per year (in/yr). The least amount of rainfall occurs in the vicinity of Guánica at Ensenada in southwestern Puerto Rico. In this area, the mean annual total rainfall is 30 in/yr.

Air temperatures fluctuate little throughout the year as a result of relatively constant insolation (that is, solar radiation) and seawater temperatures. The rate of delivery of solar radiation is nearly constant because the difference in daylight hours varies little throughout the year. Between the longest day of the year (13 hours, 13 minutes) and the shortest day (11 hours, 2 minutes), the amount of daylight differs by only slightly more than 2 hours. Mean monthly seawater temperatures vary by only about 4 °C; the mean maximum water temperature of 28 °C occurs in October, and the mean minimum water temperature of 24 °C occurs in January.

Major rainfall events producing substantial volumes of rain in Puerto Rico and the outlying islands are caused by one of two climate mechanisms—the passage of an easterly wave or the passage of a cold front. Easterly waves generally occur during May to November with some having sufficient intensity to evolve into tropical storms and (or) hurricanes. Cold fronts generally occur during November to April and may produce sufficient rainfall to cause flooding even during the period from December to March, which is a relatively dry period. The number of easterly waves or cold fronts passing over the region in any given year ultimately determines whether the region experiences relatively dry conditions or wet conditions. As a result, localized droughts occur yearly within many of the geographic areas of Puerto Rico.

Reference: Hydrogeology of Puerto Rico and the Outlying Islands of Vieques, Culebra, and Mona.

The beginning of a drought is difficult to determine. Several weeks, months, or even years may pass before people know that a drought is occurring. The end of a drought can occur as gradually as it began. Dry periods can last for 10 years or more. During the 1930's, most of the United States was much drier than normal. In Puerto Rico, for the 50-year period (1961 to 2010) there were six (6) years considered as drought years (1964, 1967, 1973, 1991, 1994, and 1997).

Climatological drought conditions in the Eastern Interior Climatic area of Puerto Rico typically occur when the annual rainfall amount is less than 70-80 percent of normal rainfall (a deficit of 20 to 30 percent below normal).

A period of below-normal rainfall does not necessarily result in drought conditions. Some rain returns to the air as water vapor when water evaporates from water surfaces and from moist soil. Plant roots draw some of the moisture from the soil and return it to the air through a process called transpiration. The total amount of water returned to the air by these processes is called evapotranspiration. Sunlight, humidity, temperature, and wind affect the rate of evapotranspiration. When evapotranspiration rates are high, soils can lose moisture and dry conditions can develop. During cool, cloudy weather, evapotranspiration rates may be low enough to offset periods of below-normal precipitation and a drought may be less severe or may not develop at all.

Reference: Moreland, 1993.

Rainfall in any form will provide some drought relief. A good analogy might be how medicine and illness relate to each other. A single dose of medicine can alleviate symptoms of illness, but it usually takes a sustained program of medication to cure an illness. Likewise, a single rainstorm will not break the drought, but it may provide temporary relief.

A light to moderate shower will probably only provide cosmetic relief. It might make folks feel better for awhile, provide cooling, and make the vegetation perk up. During the growing season, most of the rain that falls will be quickly evaporated or used by plants. Its impact is short term.

A thunderstorm will provide some of the same benefits as the shower, but it also may cause loss of life and property if it is severe. Thunderstorms often produce large amounts of precipitation in a very short time, and most of the rain will run off into drainage channels and streams rather than soak into the ground. If the rain happens to fall upstream of a reservoir, much of the runoff will be captured by the reservoir and add to the available water supply. No matter where the rain falls, stream levels will rise quickly and flooding may result. Also, because the rainfall and runoff can be intense, the resulting runoff can carry significant loads of sediment and pollutants that are washed from the land surface.

Soaking rains are the best medicine to alleviate drought. Water that enters the soil recharges ground water, which in turn sustains vegetation and feeds streams during periods when it is not raining. A single soaking rain will provide lasting relief from drought conditions, but multiple such rains over several months may be required to break a drought and return conditions to within the normal range.

Tropical storm rains are usually of the soaking variety, although they may also be intense such as during a thunderstorm and lead to some of the same problems. Tropical storms often produce more total rainfall than a "regular" soaking rain and can provide longer relief than a single soaking rain. However, tropical rains may also be of such intensity that they exceed the capacity of soil to absorb water and often result in significant runoff and flooding. Tropical rains can help to fill water-supply reservoirs and provide long-term drought insurance. If significant rainfall does not occur upstream of reservoirs, the drought relief aspects of tropical storms may be of only little consequence. All things considered, a single tropical storm at the right place, at the right time, and with the right amount of rainfall can break a drought.

Considering all of the above, even when a drought has been broken it may not be truly over. The benefits of substantial rainfall such as from a tropical storm may last for months, but a return to normal rainfall patterns and amounts is necessary for conditions in streams, reservoirs, and ground water to also return to normal.

Ground water, which is found in aquifers below the surface of the Earth, is one of the Nation's most important natural resources. Ground water is used to provide a large portion of the Nation's population with drinking water, it provides business and industries water for their purposes, and is used extensively for irrigation.

The water level in the aquifer that supplies a well does not always stay the same. Droughts, seasonal variations in rainfall, and pumping affect the height of the underground water levels. If a well is pumped at a faster rate than the aquifer around it is recharged by precipitation or other underground flow, then water levels in the well can be lowered. This can happen during drought, due to the extreme deficit of rain. The water level in a well can also be lowered if other wells near it are withdrawing too much water.

Gómez-Gómez and others, 2014, Drought : Hydrogeology of Puerto Rico and the Outlying Islands of Vieques, Culebra, and Mona , Scientific Investigations Map 3296.,  http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sim329 6

Moreland, J.A., 1993, Drought : U.S. Geological Survey Water Fact Sheet, Open-File Report 93-642, 2p.

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Definition of drought

• inadequateness
• insufficiency
• undersupply

Examples of drought in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drought.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English, from Old English drūgath , from drūgian to dry up; akin to Old English drȳge dry — more at dry

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Articles Related to drought

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The word 'drought' once had three common variant spellings. Two of these can still be found today.

Dictionary Entries Near drought

drought spot

Cite this Entry

“Drought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drought. Accessed 23 Mar. 2024.

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Essay on droughts in india: meaning, incidences and impact.

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What is Drought?

In simple terms, a ‘drought’ is a condition of dryness due to lack or shortage of water over an extended period. It can be defined according to meteorological, hydrological or agricultural criteria.

In meteorological terms, a drought is “a sustained and regionally extensive deficiency in precipitation”. According to the definition of meteorological drought adopted by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), a drought is a situation when the deficiency of rainfall at a meteorological sub-division level is 25 per cent more of the long-term average (LTA) of that sub­division for a given period. If the deficiency is between 26 per cent and 50 per cent, the drought is considered ‘moderate’, and if the deficiency is over 50 per cent, the drought is termed ‘severe’.

In India, the south-west monsoon accounts for most (about 70-80 per cent) of the rainfall and is the main source of water. The monsoon rainfall above 19 per cent of the normal value is termed as excess rain. When the rainfall departure is within 19 per cent it is known as normal rain, below 19 per cent it is deficient rain and scanty if the rainfall is below 59 per cent.

The meteorological drought is only a representation of the rainfall distribution pattern and statistics.

The hydrological drought is the manifestation of critically low groundwater tables and a marked reduced river and stream flow, causing severe shortage of water for livestock and human needs.

An agricultural drought results when soil moisture and rainfall are inadequate during the crop growing season to support healthy crop growth to maturity. The National Commission ‘on Agriculture has defined an agricultural drought as a period of four consecutive weeks (of severe meteorological drought) with a rainfall deficiency of more than 50 per cent of the LTA or with a weekly rainfall of 5 cm or less during the period from mid-May to mid-October (the kharif season) when 80 per cent of the country’s total crop is planted, or six such consecutive weeks during the rest of the year.

The intensity of drought is guided by several factors, viz., the degree of rainfall deficiency, the length of dry periods, the size of the affected area, and the availability of various facilities including irrigation. Of late the “Palmer Drought Severity Index” is commonly brought into use for expressing the severity of drought.

The index ranges from +6 (very much wetter than normal conditions) to -6 (severe drought). The index measures the relative dryness of local weather within successive periodic intervals. It considers the differences of actual precipitation from the minimum amount of precipitation required in normal conditions to sustain evapo-transpiration, run off and storage of moisture in a given climatic region.

In India, drought remains a recurrent phenomena in spite of its vast water resources. India has several major, medium, and minor rivers. The annual rainfall and snowfall is about 114 cm which creates 4000 cu km of water per annum.

Even after evaporation and other losses, about 1870 cu km of water-should remain as excess. But, in reality, only 700 cu km surface water reserve remains usable owing to topographical and hydrological bottlenecks.

Out of about 6 million villages of India about 2,31,000 are called ‘problem villages’. In these ‘problem villages’ water is not available within a 1.6 km radius. Almost 68 per cent of the sown area is dependent upon rainfall. Rainfall distribution grossly varies in more than 35 meteorological subdivisions of India.

For example, Cherrapunji receives about 118.70 cm of rainfall in comparison to about 10 mm or less rain received in the western part of Rajasthan. The most drought-prone regions is located in West Rajasthan, Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kachchh, Maharashtra, Telengana, Rayalaseema, Bihar and some parts of Orissa, such as Kalahandi, Bolangir and Koraput.

Major Incidences of Drought in India:

The worst drought experienced by India occurred in 1877. The rainfall departure in 1877 was -79 per cent which had a spread of over 66.8 per cent of the area. In recent times droughts have occurred in 1979, 1982, and as close as 2000.

The drought of 1979 had an adverse impact on about 200 million people in Eastern Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. The drought of 1982 was characterised by monsoon departure of -13.7 per cent and having an adverse affect on 46.4 per cent of the area and almost 100 million people of Rajasthan, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

A ‘phenomenal’ drought took place in 1987 when the departure of rainfall was -19.3 per cent and the area suffering from deficient rainfall was 64.3 per cent. Among the victims were about 285 million people and 168 million cattle in 15 States and 6 Union Territories. Saurashtra, Kachchh, Diu, the western part of Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana suffered tremendously.

The occurrence of drought does not always have a link with the occurrence of rainfall in a particular region. In recent years, Cherrapunji which receives the highest amount of rainfall in the world was also facing drought conditions due to lack of water harvesting methods.

In the first quarter of the year 2000, large parts of the country were hit by drought. Some fourteen states reported drought or drought-like conditions of varying magnitude. The worst hit were Rajasthan (in which 2.6 crore people in 23,000 villages in 26 districts were affected), Andhra Pradesh (3 crore people in 17,000 villages in 18 districts) and Gujarat (2.5 crore people in 8,000 villages in 17 districts). Parts of Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura also came under some stress, as did some districts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka and West Bengal which reported severe scarcity of water.

A Major Factor: Excessive Groundwater Depletion:

Strictly speaking, the meteorological factor has been a cause of a “severe drought” only in the Kachchh region of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Other regions of Gujarat and Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh have suffered from a severe hydrological drought rather than a meteorological drought. Of grave concern is the fact that the hydrological drought is not just the natural result of the meteorological drought.

Rather, it is more the result of a lack and/or failure of water management practices and planning in traditional water-scarce areas. It points to the fact that withdrawal of water from various resources of such regions—which get recharged only by rainfall— has been unsustainably high in recent times leading to a drastic depletion of these resources.

Many analysts feel the situation that occurred in early 2000 should be described by the term ‘water scarcity rather than a ‘drought’. While drought is a natural phenomenon, water scarcity is caused by human mismanagement through populism and poor governance and will keep worsening until management improves.

R. Ramachandran pointed out in an article in Frontline that almost 90 per cent of the drinking water needs are met from groundwater but only 5 per cent of the total groundwater extracted is needed for domestic use. Irrigation accounts for 83 per cent, and the remaining 10 per cent is used by other sectors, including industries. The rapid increase in groundwater-based irrigation using tube wells that are more than 150 metres deep and high-power pumps in recent times is one of the many reasons for groundwater depletion and the drop in the groundwater table.

The area covered by groundwater-based irrigation has increased from 6.5 million hectare (mha) in 1950- 51 to 40 mha. An annual decline in the water table of up to 2 m is considered normal and can cope with even a deficient rainfall the following year. A decline of up to 4 m is a cause for concern and above 4 m is a stress situation. However, there were reports that unregulated overdraft has resulted in water tables dropping 10 to 20 m in several areas in Gujarat.

Technology development in deep drilling and pumping methods (even up to 250 m), on the one hand, and populist policies of free or low-cost electricity for irrigation purposes, on the other, have contributed greatly to this massive exploitation of groundwater for irrigation purposes. Coupled with the highly anomalous policy that vests rights to groundwater with the owner of the land, there is no legal limit on the volume of water that a landowner can extract.

Unregulated exploitation by rich farmers with large land holdings, who can afford large pumps, leave the poor and the marginal farmers without access to even basic water needs. Landlords become water loads, resulting in inequity and social conflicts in rural communities.

Industries, too, exploit groundwater in an unregulated manner. Industries are located where groundwater is indicated and groundwater gets consumed within the industrial premises for different purposes, including dilution of effluent waste. This rapid groundwater depletion has not only reduced water availability but also affected its quality in terms of excess fluoride and arsenic content and brackishness.

It has been pointed out that nearly 90 per cent of groundwater exploitation occurs through private hands. Though a model bill to regulate the development of groundwater has been circulated to all the states, no state, except Maharashtra, has enacted this legislation.

Absence of Effective Long-term Planning:

What heightens the impact of the drought is the failure on the part of the state governments concerned to respond early to the crisis. The partial failure of the south-west monsoon (and other rainfall) should impel governments into evolving an action plan for the impending tragedy.

For regions like Saurashtra and Kachchh as well as western Rajasthan, even the normal pattern of living for people is known to be exacting (with water scarcity being a perpetual ordeal). Given this background, the failure of the state governments to get ready with a substantive contingency plan to grapple with drought can only be termed as an appalling breach of duty.

Most of the regions struck with drought are arid regions where water scarcity is a norm. On each occasion water scarcity becomes alarming, the respective governments react with crisis management techniques. There has been no comprehensive study of specific developments that the regions require.

In general, a drought has a devastating impact on crops, leading to food scarcity, malnutrition, epidemics, forced migration, economic destabilisation, loss of lives and social conflicts.

Fortunately enough, a drought in modern times does not lead to famines. There is enough stock of food-grains with the Food Corporation of India. Also, in present times, food-grains can be easily moved and people can access them. Provided, of course, they have the money to spend on it because of the precarious employment opportunities and vast under-employment and under-payment that is more a practice than exception in rural areas.

While there may be negligible short-term impact of the drought on the economy, the long- term effects cannot be overlooked. The social and the ecological/environmental damages are often not quantifiable; further, they are irreversible, so their impacts remain for years together. There are changes in settlement pattern, and the social and living styles. Even a partial failure of crops prompts irrigation that causes pressure on urban centres; creating pressure on urban infrastructure.

There are significant ecological effects— decreased scrub growth, increase in erosion of soils and increased desertification.

Related Articles:

• Speech on Droughts: Effects and Control
• Essay on Drought Prone Areas of India (1456 Words)

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