Drought

There are many definitions of drought because of the problems associated with delineating its boundaries clearly and the slow onset of the phenomenon. Drought is generally defined as a relatively long period of time with little or no precipitation over an area. A drought differs from simple aridity, the latter being a norm while the former is a departure from it. Droughts are very difficult to predict and have the potential to negatively affect the ecosystem and socioeconomics of the affected region, including the agricultural or hydroelectricity production, resulting in economic loss, migration, and even famine and hunger. Therefore, drought is regarded as one of the causes of poverty. Although nobody is immune to drought, it has been shown that drought has the most devastating ...