Asia Community

Historical drought and its trend in South Asia: Spatial and temporal analysis 2000-2020

This is an open accessed article available via: https://www.apn-gcr.org/bulletin/article/historical-drought-and-its-tre… Some authors are also members of this Community.

Agricultural drought conditions over mainland Southeast Asia: Spatiotemporal characteristics revealed from MODIS-based vegetation time-series

By Tuyen V. Ha, Soner Uereyen, and Claudia Kuenzer

Abstract
Drought is a reoccurring slow-onset hazard event and has a tremendous impact on agricultural production and ecosystem health. Mainland Southeast Asia is a major rainfed crop-producing area of the world, and this region is increasingly vulnerable to drought hazards. However, the monitoring and characterization of agricultural and vegetative droughts in this region remains understudied. This paper presented the first comprehensive analysis of spatiotemporal characteristics and trends of agricultural and vegetative droughts across the region using the Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) based on the reconstructed MODIS-based vegetation time-series data between 2000 and 2021. This study also developed an approach for identifying severe drought years using annual extreme pixels. Results showed that vegetation-based drought characteristics and trends varied in space and time across the region. Central Myanmar suffered from the most frequent droughts (nearly 60%), but prolonged events were less common. By contrast, the Lower Mekong area suffered from frequent and prolonged drought conditions. Most of the recent severe droughts were observed in Cambodia, and this area is characterized by a drying trend. Regionally, the severe drought years were detected in 2000, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2016, 2019, and 2020, and they were commonly found in Central Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia. The analysis of drought years indicated that the temporal change pattern of drought has shifted from the northern regions (e.g., Central Myanmar) in 2010 to the Lower Mekong region in recent years. The findings of this study provide valuable information for drought early warning management and agricultural planning across mainland Southeast Asia.

Full text here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2023.103378 This is an open-access article.

A personal note: Southeast Asia is widely known for its humid weather and often hit by typhoons. But this article shows that drought is also a challenge in Southeast Asia.

Rainmaking in Zhaoan County, Fujian Province, China.
This is a good solution for other places if conditions are met. Could be helpful to reduce drought, lower the risk of wildfires, and boost agriculture.
Below is the news link, in Chinese though.
https://www.peopleapp.com/rmharticle/30048243217

📸 Capture the solutions that inspire change!
The UNCCD and GWP have launched a global photo competition at UNCCD COP 16 in December 2024 in Riyadh to highlight powerful solutions to drought and water scarcity.
From nature-based solutions to technological innovations, we’re looking for impactful images that showcase how communities and ecosystems build resilience to drought.
🏆 Finalists will have their work exhibited at UNCCD Headquarters in Bonn during the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on June 17, 2025.
💰 Winners in each category will receive a $500 gift card from the International Center of Photography or Fotografiska Museum.
⏳ Don’t miss the submission deadline: March 31, 2025!
📢 Winners will be announced in May 2025.
🔗 Submit your entry today and let your photos inspire action! https://droughtclp.unccd.int/photo-competition