Drought in India

Drought is a prolonged period of insufficient rainfall that leads to a shortage of water supplies. It can result in the failure of crops, loss of livestock, and widespread food shortages. Droughts are most severe when water sources run dry, energy generation from hydroelectric facilities falls, and the economy suffers from low agricultural output. The primary cause of drought is insufficient or poorly distributed rainfall, which causes water reserves to dwindle.

Droughts can be classified into four main types:

1. Meteorological Drought: This type occurs when there is a significant reduction in rainfall over a given period, whether days, months, or seasons, causing conditions to fall below a region’s long-term average rainfall. The Indian Meteorological Department defines drought as a situation where annual rainfall falls below 75% of the normal level. Factors contributing to meteorological drought include:
   
   • Weak monsoon seasons.
   • Late onset or early withdrawal of monsoons.
   • Prolonged breaks in the monsoon season.
2. Hydrological Drought: This is associated with the scarcity of surface or groundwater resources. A meteorological drought often leads to hydrological drought, which manifests as:
   
   • Surface Water Drought: The drying up of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs due to a lack of rainfall.
   • Groundwater Drought: The depletion of groundwater supplies from excessive pumping without replenishment.
3. Agricultural Drought: This type refers to the negative impact of meteorological or hydrological drought on crop yields. When there is inadequate soil moisture or rainfall, crops experience stress and fail to mature, leading to agricultural drought.
   
4. Soil Moisture Drought: This type occurs when the soil does not retain enough moisture, especially in rain-fed areas. It typically results from a meteorological drought where the rainfall is insufficient, and high evaporation rates further dry out the soil.
   
5. Socio-Economic Drought: This reflects the social and economic impact of drought, particularly when food and income loss from failed crops jeopardize food security and livelihoods.
   
6. Famine: Famine is an extreme consequence of drought, where widespread crop failure, food scarcity, and economic collapse lead to mass starvation and death.
   
7. Ecological Drought: This occurs when ecosystems experience significant degradation due to environmental stress caused by a prolonged drought, disrupting biodiversity and natural habitats.
   

Causes of Drought

Droughts in India primarily result from:

• Failure of the southwest monsoon.
• Weak or delayed monsoons.
• Unusual monsoon breaks that reduce rainfall over extended periods.

Drought-prone areas tend to receive minimal rainfall, with high variability in rainfall patterns. A drought is officially declared when rainfall is below 75% of the normal amount for a given region.

Effects of Drought

Droughts can have devastating effects, particularly in agricultural societies like India. The impacts can be categorized as follows:

1. Physical Impact: Droughts cause a decrease in soil moisture, surface runoff, and groundwater levels, leading to widespread water scarcity.
   
2. Impact on Agriculture: India’s agriculture heavily relies on the monsoon, and when rainfall is insufficient, crop yields plummet. With two-thirds of the country’s arable land dependent on rain-fed agriculture, the effects of drought can be severe, leading to food shortages and increased poverty.
   
3. Social and Economic Impact: Drought has wide-reaching social and economic consequences. It can lead to famine, hunger, and the breakdown of social structures. Key effects include:
   
   • A decrease in agricultural output and cultivated land.
   • Reduced purchasing power due to loss of income.
   • Migration of people in search of work, increasing pressure on other regions.
   • Increased poverty and malnutrition, often leading to the spread of diseases.
   • Increased social unrest, with higher risks of crime and social instability.

Droughts have a disproportionately negative effect on vulnerable populations, including poor farmers, migrant workers, and low-income communities, who often have limited access to resources or relief.

Drought-Prone Areas

A drought-prone area is a region where the probability of experiencing a drought year exceeds 20%. If the risk of drought exceeds 40%, the area is classified as chronically drought-prone. A drought year is one in which rainfall is less than 75% of the average predicted amount.

In India, while the overall area vulnerable to drought could be as large as 1 million square kilometers (about one-third of the country), the core areas frequently affected by drought make up about 16% of the total land and impact 12% of the population. These regions typically receive less than 75 cm of rainfall annually, and the rainfall they do receive is highly variable, with fluctuations greater than 40%.

Drought Prone Area Programmes (DPAP)

It was launched in 1974.

The goal of this initiative is to move away from simply giving aid and jobs in drought-affected communities and towards a more sustainable method known as “drought-proofing.” This involves adopting an integrated area development strategy that focuses on reducing the impact of future droughts. The program aims to stabilize agricultural production and employment, addressing both immediate and long-term challenges posed by droughts.

Key objectives of DPAP include:

• Minimizing the adverse impacts of drought on crops, livestock, and productivity by integrating natural resource management and appropriate technologies.
• Fostering long-term preservation, development, and optimal use of natural resources like land, water, and particularly rainfall.

Integrated Watershed Management

A crucial aspect of mitigating drought conditions is Integrated Watershed Management. This approach involves coordinated planning and the combined use of surface and groundwater resources. It prioritizes rational water usage and ensures that the total available water resources in a region are properly managed. The National Watershed Programme for Rainfed Areas has implemented various watershed projects across India’s rainfed regions, further assisting in preventing drought-like conditions.