Drought

 Drought

• Drought is a prolonged dry period in the natural climate cycle that can occur anywhere in the world. 
• It is a slow-onset disaster characterized by the lack of precipitation, resulting in a water shortage. 
• Drought can have a serious impact on health, agriculture, economies, energy and the environment.
• Rising temperatures caused by climate change are making already dry regions drier and wet regions wetter. 
• In dry regions, this means that when temperatures rise, water evaporates more quickly, and thus increases the risk of drought or prolongs periods of drought.
• Drought is termed as any lack of water to satisfy the normal needs of agriculture, livestock, industry or human population. It is shaded in red/yellow on the given maps.
• The main types of drought are as follows:
1. Meteorological Drought: Reduction in rainfall for a specific period below a specific amount
2. Hydrological Drought: Drying up of water sources – both surface and groundwater (together or individually)
3. Soil Moisture Drought: Unavailability of adequate moisture to support the standing crop.
4. Ecological Drought: Productivity of a natural ecosystem falls significantly as a consequence of distress induced environmental damage.
• In India, since 60% of the agriculture is still rainfed, meteorological drought is an important cause of drought conditions. Thus, any deficit in monsoon rains is felt to a large extent especially in areas that have large rain variability – leeward side of Western Ghats (Marathwada and Vidarbha) and North-west extremities of the country.