DROUGHT

Drought is an event that occurs during the dry season, especially when the
long dry season hits. The general definition of drought is a condition in which an
area, land, or community experiences a lack of water so that it cannot meet their
needs. Drought can be caused because an area has not experienced rain or dry
season for a long time or the rainfall is below normal, so that the water content in
the soil is reduced or even absent.
Excessive water consumption can also be a cause of drought, this is because
excess water consumption is not balanced with excess water sources as well. Water
consumption is inversely proportional to water sources, meaning that this disaster
can occur when water consumption has exceeded the limit but the water source
only releases the same (limited) amount of water.
Vegetation can also be the cause of this disaster, areas with dense vegetation
must have more water reserves than areas without vegetation or bare land.
Barren vegetation means that water that seeps into the soil (infiltration) will
definitely decrease, because the function of the roots it self is to absorb and store
water from rain. The water stored in the roots can be used as a backup when the
dry season has arrived.
This means that when the dry season comes, areas with few trees will have
less water reserves because the trees have been replaced by buildings, especially in
urban areas.
Drought can also occur because the people of an area have not been able to
manage existing water resources properly, or water resource infrastructure is
lacking. Lack of water sources can also be the cause of this disaster.
When water sources (springs, rivers, etc.) dry up, they cannot meet human
water needs. Likewise, when the water source is used excessively until the water
runs out, the use of water resources cannot be sustainable.
The situation will get worse when the water sources in an area are few and
far away. The water source that is far away will make it more difficult for the
community when a drought hits, especially when the water source is a water source
that can be reached by the community. Like it or not, people have to take water
from that place.