Definition of Drought The content below provides a general description of the definition, characteristics, and impacts of drought
from a meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, and socio-economic viewpoint.

Drought occurs as a result of the interaction between the supply and demand of water, which is affected by natural or artificial behavior such as precipitation, and their effects on society including economic, environmental, and individual suffering. Drought is defined by a number of criteria and can be broadly classified into the following four: meteorological, agricultural, hydrologic and socio-economic.

  • This is defined as either a given number of days of precipitation or a duration of non-precipitation, and directly expresses the effects
    of meteorological phenomena
  • This refers to a drought that affects agriculture and is marked by soil moisture directly associated with crop growth
  • This is defined as the amount of water available, such as river discharge, reservoir, or ground water, focusing on water supply.
  • This refers to a wide range of drought definitions, taking all other aspects into account, that defines the demand and supply
    of economic materials(water) in relation to meteorological, hydrologic and agricultural drought factors
Climate
Change
Meteorological drought

Reduced Precipitation

Increased Evapotranspiration

Agricultural drought

Decreased Soil Water Content

Decreased Crop Yield

Impact of Human on Animals and Plants

Hydrological drought

Reduced Runoff

Reduced Inflow of Reservoirs, etc.

Socio-economic drought

Impacts of Local
Environmental and Economy

Slow to Progress
Most natural disasters occur quickly and without warning, but droughts can occur for months or more and can last for many seasons, years, or even decades. The damage from drought increases as the drought continues and the damage continues even after normal rainfall occurs.
Span over long periods
Other natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods and earthquakes, are visible and can be felt as immediate harm, but droughts are different in nature from earthquakes and occur over long periods of time.
Damages are extensive
Unlike other natural disasters that result in harm only in some areas, droughts are very extensive, including social, economic, environmental, and psychological harm that is affected by the drought.
Costs are significant
The damages caused by droughts are just as great as natural disasters that cause instant damages. Drought damages in the United States from 1987 to 1989 are estimated to be around $ 39 billion for the government and private sector, and 70 percent of the population was damaged. For other major disasters, the damages are estimated to be $ 7 billion for typhoons and $ 300 to $400 million for earthquakes.
Complexity
The absence of accurate and universal definitions for drought makes it difficult to estimate which areas can be classified as suffering from drought and how severe the droughts are. Thus, policy makers are confused on how to take action and generally wait until the effects of drought are apparent. At this stage, it is too late to carry out effective measures.

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    Direct Influence
    • Decline in the Output of Directly Impacted Crops
    • Increase in the Risk of Forest Fires
    • Decrease in Water Levels
    • Increase of the Number of Dead Crops
    • Decrease in Wildlife and Fish Species
    Indirect Influence
    • Results of Economic Impact
    • Reduced Incomes due to Reductions in Crop Production
    • Higher Prices for Agricultural and Timber Products
  • Economic Impacts
    • The Cost and Loss of Crops (decreasing crop yields, increased irrigation costs, etc.)
    • The Loss of Fishing Output (damage to fish habitats, loss of aquatic organisms due to falling flow)
    • Decline in Timber Production
    • Death of Plants
    • Increased Burden on Water Suppliers
  • Environmental Impacts
    • Damage to Species (habitat loss and diversity loss, etc.)
    • Deterioration of Air Quality
    • Deterioration of Water Quality
    • Soil Erosion
    • Poor Soil Quality
    • Exhaustion of Ground Water
  • Social Influences
    • Conflicts between Water Users
    • Mental and Physical Stress
    • Decline in the Quality of Life and Causes Lifestyle Changes
    • Increase in Poverty