Drought is a prolonged dry period that lacks precipitation and can occur worldwide, resulting in water shortage. It seriously impacts health, agriculture, economies, energy, and the environment. An estimated 55 million people are affected by droughts annually. Drought threatens livelihoods and increases disease and death risks, potentially displacing 700 million people by 2030 due to water scarcity. Drought can be meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, or socioeconomic based on precipitation deficits and their effects. Impacts include famine, economic damages, and environmental degradation. Drought is monitored and predicted using precipitation and moisture data to assess vulnerability and inform mitigation measures like afforestation and water conservation.

1. Drought
Disaster
Management
Dr Fayaz A. Malla
Assistant Professor, Environmental Sciences
Higher Education Department, Govt. of J&K
Email: nami.fayaz@gmail.com

2. 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.
An estimated 55 million people globally are affected by
droughts every year, and they are the most serious hazard to
livestock and crops in nearly every part of the world.
Drought threatens people’s livelihoods, increases the risk of
disease and death, and fuels mass migration.
Water scarcity impacts 40% of the world’s population, and as
many as 700 million people are at-risk of being displaced as a
result of drought by 2030.

3. • According to India
Meteorological Department
draught is defined as a situation
occurring in any area when the
mean annual rainfall is less
than 75% of the normal rainfall.
• IMD has further classified
droughts into two broad
categories
i. Severe drought: when the
deficiency of rainfall
exceeds 50% of the normal
rainfall.
ii. Moderate drought: when
dead deficiency of rainfall
is between 25-50% of
normal rainfall
Definitions

4. Palmer Index of Drought Severity

5. The severity of
drought and it is
hazardous
nature largely
depends upon
the following
factors
Duration of dry condition leading to
drought
Degree of deficiency of moisture
content
Degree of drought vulnerability and
risk
Size of the affected area

6. Types of Droughts
Based on the ratio between long period average annual
precipitation and actual precipitation of few years in
continuation
Ratio between moisture content in the soil and requirement
of moisture by crops for their growth and survival
Ratio between surface and subsurface normal water shortage
and actual water level
Actual shortage of food and fodder supply due to crop failure
for a few continuous years
Meteorological drought
Agriculture drought
Hydrological drought
Social economic drought

7. Impacts of
Droughts
Famine and human casualties
Demographic impacts
Economic impacts
Economical impacts
Environmental impacts
Social impacts

8. Drought
Prediction and
Monitoring
Careful regular monitoring of material logical and hydrological variables such as
precipitation patterns seasonal and special distribution soil moisture content
stream flow and volume of water in rivers lakes and ponds
Proper understanding of complex physical factors leading to onset of droughts
Understanding of EL Nino and La Nina
Efforts should be augmented to build effective models to predict multi year
drought as well as drought in extratropical regions with accuracy
Assessment of vulnerability and risk in different community groups of people
to different types of droughts
Drought Mitigation and Control Measures

9. Drought mitigation and preventive measures
Already existing measures to increase air
moisture and precipitation through
anthropogenic activities such as
afforestation reforestation and cloud
seeding should be further augmented and
strengthened
Construction of small dams and
reservoirs on potential and
seasonal big and small rivers
Efforts should be made to use seawater
after distillation for irrigation and
consumption
Recording and monitoring of
yearly and seasonal rainfall data
water use data infiltration of
rainwater and recharge of
groundwater
Proper land use and crop
management
Restrictions on outdoor use of
water
Rainwater harvesting should be
made mandatory
Other measures to affected
people or community

10. Thank
You