Drought - an Issue of the Century
Alexandra Cousteau, an emerging explorer of National Geographic Channel, initiated a nonprofit ‘Blue Legacy’ in order to raise water issues concerns around the globe. Water problems like droughts, storms, floods, and degraded water conditions made her believe that this is a rising crucial issue of the century. Like this initiation, other people across continents have started to work accordingly to save water and to avoid fatal scenarios such as droughts.
Unlike other natural disasters, the starting time or the ending time of drought cannot be pinpointed, hence this causes a lot more disastrous situation for the people facing it. We will in this section learn about droughts and how we can manage to surpass such a problem.
What is Drought?
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Drought is such a period of time when an area or a region is exposed to below-normal precipitation conditions. Drought condition, also known as the Water Drought condition means the lack of necessary precipitation, which is either in the form of rain or snow. This causes the soil to reduce its moisture. This loss of moisture also causes reduced groundwater, less streamflow, crop damage, and all over a general water shortage.
Discussing further drought conditions, firstly to mention this disaster affects people in many ways. People do not have access to clean drinking water which is undoubtedly essential to live. Other sources of water also diminish during a drought. In this condition, people are seen travelling miles after miles to fetch water from elsewhere. Drought condition also prevents the growth of the crops. As there is a lack of precipitation, naturally then the water crops must be watered by irrigation, but irrigation is also not possible as there is not enough water in nearby rivers, lakes, or streams, or from the groundwater. Some places also might face severe drought-like situations. Severe droughts are described as a long period of abnormally low rainfall, a low amount of rain adversely affects the growing cultivation including the living conditions. This is a prolonged dearth or shortage of water.
Types of Drought
There are different types of drought conditions on many bases in this section. We will know the basis of classification and the types of droughts under them. In our next section, we will explain the typical types of drought conditions.
Drought is being classified-
On the basis of Source of Water availability
Under this we have three types of drought:
1. Meteorological Drought.
Meteorological Drought is again classified as:
Slight Drought – When the rainfall is 11 to 25%
Moderate Drought - Rainfall here is 26 to 50%
Severe Drought – In this, the rainfall is more than 50%.
2. Hydrological Drought
3. Agricultural Drought
On the basis of Occurrence
Permanent Drought Area
Seasonal Drought Area
Contingent Drought
On the basis of medium
Soil Drought
Atmospheric Drought
Meteorological Drought
Meteorological droughts abbreviated as MD are the water shortages that are caused by the imbalance in precipitation and the rate of evaporation.
Hydrological Drought
Hydrological drought refers to the lack of water that is contained in the hydrological system. Hydrological drought also gives rise to abnormally low streamflow in the rivers and low levels in the lakes, reservoirs water. This is a part of the bigger drought phenomenon with a natural hazard.
Agricultural Drought
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Agricultural drought is marked with the set in when the soil moisture requirement to plants has totally dropped to such a level which adversely affects the crop cultivation and thus decreases the agricultural profitability. Agricultural Drought is the soil moisture being deficient compared to the meteorological droughts and climatic factors with their impacts on agricultural production and in economic profitability.
Socioeconomic Drought
Socioeconomic definitions of drought are related to the supply and demand of some economic goods. Socioeconomic drought is very much different from the already mentioned types of drought. Socioeconomic drought occurrence depends on the time and the space processes for the supply and demand to identify or to classify the types of droughts. Economic goods, such as water, food grains, fish, and power supply, depending on the weather conditions. Thus, these goods face scarcity of production.
Floods and Droughts
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We, human beings, do require water to survive. Water is used for washing, drinking, and for watering crops. Thus, the amount of water that is available depends on the rain or snowfall.
Unfortunately, precipitation is not equally distributed around the world. Some areas rarely see rainfall, the acute drought condition which we are discussing in this content. While others get more water than required, the acute flood problem. These problems occur when they are least expected to happen.
Equally, humans are responsible for this disaster to happen. If we have paid attention to the soil condition, its loosing of moisture, also if minimum attention was paid to the dry weather conditions, and thus, if we planted vegetation droughts could be resolved.
Also, floods could be prevented, by proper sewage and draining systems and unnecessary clogging of water. If we emitted less pollution and stopped the glaciers from melting rapidly, maybe it would aid for floods.
Management of Drought
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Managers are available who are responsible to supply water, preparing for and responding to drought-like events. Apart from this, below are the management techniques that one must follow if drought hits. They are:
Starting public information and education campaigns.
Initiating emergency conservation programs.
The water service is to be under restrictions.
Stoppage of nonessential uses of water.
Drought emergency pricing is to be done.
Water rationing programs are to be started.
Augmentation is required.
Improvements in the water systems, like leak detection and lining of transmission canals.
Emergency sources of supply are to be found out.
Managing the available water sources.
Searching for new supplies of the water system.
FAQs on Drought
1. What is a drought in the context of geography?
In geography, a drought is defined as a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water. It is a slow-onset natural disaster characterised by a significant moisture deficiency that impacts the environment, agriculture, and human life. Unlike other disasters, it develops slowly and can last for months or even years, affecting a large geographical area.
2. What are the four main types of drought?
Droughts are generally classified into four main types based on their characteristics and impacts:
Meteorological Drought: This is the most common type, defined by a prolonged period with below-average precipitation. It is primarily based on the degree of dryness compared to a long-term average.
Agricultural Drought: This type occurs when there isn't enough soil moisture to meet the needs of a particular crop at a particular time. It can occur even when a meteorological drought is not severe, due to issues with soil health or irrigation.
Hydrological Drought: This refers to deficiencies in surface and subsurface water supplies. It is measured as low streamflow, and low levels in lakes, reservoirs, and groundwater.
Socioeconomic Drought: This occurs when the demand for an economic good exceeds supply as a result of a weather-related shortfall in water supply. It associates the supply and demand of water with the impacts of drought on society.
3. What are the primary causes of drought?
Droughts are caused by a combination of natural and human-induced factors that lead to a lack of sufficient water.
Natural Causes include variations in climate patterns like El Niño, changes in ocean and atmospheric temperatures, and shifts in wind patterns that can disrupt normal rainfall.
Human-induced factors that intensify droughts include deforestation (which reduces the amount of moisture recycled into the atmosphere), over-extraction of groundwater, inefficient irrigation practices, and the construction of dams that alter river flows.
4. What are some major effects of drought on the environment and society?
Droughts have severe and wide-ranging effects. Environmentally, they lead to the loss of vegetation, increased risk of wildfires, soil erosion, and damage to wildlife habitats and ecosystems. Socially and economically, droughts cause crop failure and livestock deaths, leading to food shortages and financial ruin for farmers. They also result in water scarcity for drinking and sanitation, increased food prices, and can force communities to migrate in search of water and livelihoods.
5. Which are some of the major drought-prone regions in India?
India has several regions that are highly susceptible to droughts, primarily due to erratic monsoon patterns and geographical factors. The most prominent drought-prone areas include:
The arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The leeward side of the Western Ghats, also known as the rain-shadow area, which includes parts of Maharashtra (Vidarbha, Marathwada), Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
Interior parts of the country like the Rayalaseema region in Andhra Pradesh and parts of Telangana.
6. How is a meteorological drought different from an agricultural drought?
The key difference lies in what they measure. A meteorological drought is a fundamental measure of precipitation deficit; it simply means it has rained less than normal over a period. In contrast, an agricultural drought is about impact. It focuses on the deficiency of soil moisture, which directly affects crop health. An agricultural drought can occur even without a severe meteorological drought if soil quality is poor or water management is inefficient, preventing crops from accessing available water.
7. How do human activities like deforestation and urbanisation worsen a natural drought?
Human activities do not cause droughts, but they significantly increase their severity and impact. Deforestation reduces evapotranspiration, a process where trees release moisture into the air, which can affect local rainfall patterns. Urbanisation covers the land with impermeable surfaces like concrete and asphalt. This prevents rainwater from percolating into the ground to recharge aquifers, leading to increased surface runoff and less available groundwater, thereby making the area more vulnerable to water shortages during a dry spell.
8. Why is rainwater harvesting considered a crucial strategy for drought mitigation?
Rainwater harvesting is crucial because it directly addresses the core issue of water scarcity caused by erratic rainfall. By capturing and storing rainwater where it falls, it helps in two primary ways. Firstly, it recharges groundwater levels, ensuring a more stable and long-term water supply. Secondly, it provides a decentralised source of water for irrigation and domestic use, reducing the over-reliance on rivers and reservoirs that are vulnerable to drying up during a drought. This creates a water buffer that helps communities withstand prolonged dry periods.
9. Can a region that receives high annual rainfall still be considered drought-prone? Explain why.
Yes, a region with high annual average rainfall can still be drought-prone. The critical factor is not the total amount of rainfall, but its timing and distribution throughout the year. For example, regions in India like Cherrapunji receive very high rainfall, but it is concentrated in the monsoon season. If the monsoon fails or its arrival is delayed, the region can face acute water shortages during the dry season. This dependency on a specific seasonal pattern makes them vulnerable to drought if that pattern is disrupted.
