Abstract

The effects of drought have been devastating, ranging from destruction of crops to millions of deaths. These effects are only magnified in countries like India due to its heavy reliance on rainfall for agriculture. In 2002 and 1987 India faced some of the most severe droughts, effecting over 250 million Indians. Understanding the connections between various types of droughts is essential for a better understanding of drought. Droughts are mainly classified into four categories, meteorological drought, agricultural drought , hydrological drought , and socioeconomic droughts. To quantify different type of droughts, various drought indices have been formulated in recent years. These indices involve utilization of multiple climatic, hydrologic and geographic parameters such as soil moisture, precipitation, runoff etc. Indices like the GRACE Drought Severity Index (GRACE DSI) have become a benchmark for quantifying hydrological drought. GRACE DSI has found wide applications due to its accuracy and ease of use. Most of the studies in India analyze each drought as an individual event. This creates a need for understanding the linkages between different droughts. The main objective of this study is to identify the lag at which meteorological drought propagates to different droughts. The study also aims to find spatiotemporal variations of different drought types across India. The study also puts forth a modified form of GRACE DSI suitable for Indian subcontinent.