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News and research to help you plan for drought
Satellite view of the Almendra reservoir in the Castilla y León autonomous region in February 2022, at 35.9% of its capacity. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2022, via Wikimedia Commons

Hydrologic drought expected to become more severe

The authors of a new study in Earth’s Future have found that future hydrologic droughts are expected to become more severe and prolonged through the 21st century.

The researchers used storylines to create future drought scenarios. They incorporated runoff trends, timing of seasonal droughts and frequency of multi-year droughts. Under the highest emission scenario, their results suggest that 62% of the world’s land area could experience more frequent and severe droughts.

The study’s findings highlight the need for proactive water management strategies and offer valuable insights for policymakers and water resource managers.
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Dry, cracked soil in Fairfax County, Virginia. Wikimedia Commons/Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0.

New tool will help farmers, planners with drought decisions

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center and the National Integrated Drought Information System recently created a tool to forecast the development of flash droughts. 

The Rapid Onset Drought (ROD) hazard outlook, which became operational in May 2024, provides advance notice of possible flash drought conditions over a 2–4 week period. It uses data on soil moisture and weather forecasts to identify areas at risk.

ROD is expected to provide farmers, policymakers and emergency managers with information to help them make informed decisions ahead of drought.
Find out more
Mahanadi River in western Odisha. Wikimedia Commons/Kamaldas92, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Researchers create drought risk map for India’s Mahanadi River basin

The authors of a new study in International Journal of River Basin Management have created an integrated drought risk map of the Mahanadi River basin in India. The study combined geospatial methodologies with the Analytical Hierarchy process technique.

By combining assessments of agriculture, water resources, socioeconomic factors and weather patterns, the study revealed varying levels of risk across the region. The map is expected to help planners develop strategies for mitigating drought.
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