Drought

A drought is a period of below-average precipitation in a given region, resulting in

prolonged shortages in the water supply, whether atmospheric, surface water or ground water. A
drought can last for months or years, or may be declared after as few as 15 days. Periods of heat
can significantly worsen drought conditions by hastening evaporation of water vapor.

How do droughts happen?

Droughts happen when there is not enough rain for a long period of time. It's not like a dry
spell - there is so little precipitation (rain, snow, sleet or any kind of moisture) that a whole region
starts to dry out.

Causes of Drought

 Precipitation deficiency

Droughts occur mainly in areas where normal levels of rainfall are, in themselves, low.
If these factors do not support precipitation volumes sufficient to reach the surface over a
sufficient time, the result is a drought.

 Dry Season

The dry season greatly increases drought occurrence, and is characterized by its low
humidity, with watering holes and rivers drying up. Periods of warmth quicken the pace of
fruit and vegetable production, increase evaporation and transpiration from plants, and
worsen drought conditions.

 El Nino

El Niño is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial

Pacific, as opposed to La Niña, which is characterized by unusually cold ocean
temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific.

 Erosion and human activities

Human activity can directly trigger exacerbating factors such as over farming,
excessive irrigation, deforestation, and erosion adversely impact the ability of the land to
capture and hold water.

 Climate Change

Climate changes occur over longer periods and can be observed as changes in the
patterns of weather events. There is high confidence that increased temperatures will lead
to more precipitation falling as rain rather than snow, earlier snow melt, and increased
evaporation and transpiration. Thus, the risk of hydrological and agricultural drought
increases as temperatures rise.
Types of Droughts

 Meteorological drought

is brought about when there is a prolonged time with less than average
precipitation.

 Agricultural drought

when available water supplies are not able to meet crop, water demands.
Agricultural droughts can occur for a variety of reasons, including low precipitation,
the timing of water availability, or decreased access to water supplies.

 Hydrological drought

brought about when the water reserves available in sources such

as aquifers, lakes and reservoirs fall below the statistical average. Hydrological
drought tends to show up more slowly because it involves stored water that is used
but not replenished. Like an agricultural drought, this can be triggered by more
than just a loss of rainfall.