Drought

• Drought is a temporary reduction in water or moisture availability below the normal or expected amount for a specific period.
• It occurs when there is substantially lower than average precipitation in a season that normally has ample precipitation for crop support.
• The amount, time, and distribution of rainfall matter in drought conditions.
• In India, the erratic nature of the summer monsoon is responsible for drought conditions, with one in every 5 years being a drought year on average, and one in every 3 years in Rajasthan.
• Drought is a relative phenomenon, with reference to prevailing agro-climatic conditions, while aridity is a permanent condition.
• Arid and semi-arid regions are more prone to drought.

Types & Causes of Drought

• Meteorological Drought:
  • Reduction in rainfall for a specific period below a specific amount.
  • Causes: Lean monsoon, below-average rainfall, late-onset or early withdrawal of monsoons, prolonged breaks in monsoon.

• Hydrological Drought:
  • Reduction of water levels.
  • Surface water Drought: drying up of surface water resources such as rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, tanks, reservoirs, etc.
  • Groundwater Drought: fall in the groundwater level.
  • Causes: Large scale deforestation, ecologically hazardous mining, excessive pumping of groundwater.
• Agricultural Drought:
  • Soil moisture goes below the level needed to sustain plant growth.
  • Also called as Soil Moisture Drought.
  • Causes: Excessive use of High Yielding Seeds (HYV), change in cropping pattern.

• Socio-Economic Drought:
  • Reflects reduced availability of food and income loss due to crop failure.
• Ecological Drought:
  • Productivity of the natural ecosystem fails due to a shortage of water.
  • Causes environmental damages like deaths of cattle, wildlife, and trees in the forest.

Droughts in India

• India has an average annual rainfall of around 1150 mm, which is the highest among countries, but there is considerable annual variation.
• More than 80% of rainfall is received in less than 100 days during the southwest monsoon, and the geographic spread is uneven.
• About 21% of the area in India receives less than 700 mm of rainfall annually, making these areas hotspots for drought. Inadequate rainfall, coupled with adverse land-to-man ratio, results in rain-fed agriculture practices in about 45% of the country.
• Per capita water availability in India is steadily declining, and groundwater depletion due to excessive withdrawal for irrigation aggravates the situation in the long run.
• In the peninsular region, surface water availability becomes scarce in years of rainfall insufficiency, especially in the rain-shadow regions of the western ghats.
• Naturally drought-prone areas in India include the northwest region, which is arid and semi-arid, parts of Rajasthan, Kutch, and Thar desert region, and the leeward side of the western ghats in the peninsular region.
• Approximately 30% of India’s total area is drought-prone, affecting 68% of the total sown area. Some of the most severe drought years in post-independence India were 1965, 1972, 1979, 1987, 2002, 2009, and 2012.

Most Drought Prone areas in India

• Northwest Region: arid and semi-arid region that receives residual rain from the monsoon; monsoon time over this region is nearly 2 months; includes Rajasthan and some parts of the west-central areas
• Other drought-prone areas: kutch and the Thar desert region; cannot be fully rectified, but impact can be reduced by using irrigation methods and crops suitable for the region
• Peninsular region: leeward side (rainshadow region) of the western ghat receives little rainfall; lacks irrigation; crops chosen on a commercial basis are not suitable for the agro region like cotton and sugarcane in Marathwada, which demand high water availability
• About 30% of India’s total area is drought-prone, affecting 68% of the total sown area
• Most severe drought years in post-independence India: 1965, 1972, 1979, 1987, 2002, 2009, and 2012

Consequences of Droughts

• Economic losses:
  • Decline in cultivated areas
  • Fall in agricultural production
  • Slowing down of secondary and tertiary activities
  • Decline in purchasing power
• Environmental Impact:
  • Damages to plant and animal species
  • Wildlife habitat loss
  • Air and water quality degradation
  • Forest and range fires
  • Degradation of landscape quality
  • Soil erosion
  • Adverse effects on soil moisture, surface run-off, and groundwater table
• Impact on society:
  • Migration of people from drought-hit areas to other areas in search of livelihood and food
  • Farmer suicides
  • Disruption of social institutions
  • Increase in social crimes
  • Scarcity of drinking water and food grains leading to famine and starvation
  • Poor health and spread of diseases associated with malnutrition and hunger, sometimes leading to death.

Drought Management

• Drought management encompasses three-fold structures and each step needs a holistic approach to ensure effective end result. The 3 components are-
  • Drought intensity assessment and monitoring
  • Drought declaration and prioritization of affected areas for management
  • Development and implementation of drought management strategies.

NDMA guidelines for Drought Management-

• NDMA guidelines recommend developing vulnerability profiles for regions, communities, and population groups to enhance the planning process.
• Specific Drought Management cells should be created at the state level under SDMA for preparing vulnerability maps for respective states.
• Priority should be given to vulnerable arid and semi-arid areas where drought is a recurring feature.
• Specific guidelines for the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) should be established, including the role of the National Informatics Center (NIC) for real-time drought-related information.
• Assessment of expected damage should include agricultural production, depletion of water resources, livestock population, land degradation, deforestation, and human health.