Research Projects

Drought is a significant natural hazard with significant economic, environmental, and social impacts on agriculture, ecosystems, water supply, and socioeconomic conditions. With global temperature rise, drought severity, frequency, and duration are increasing. Drought begins with a shortage of precipitation, which spreads through the hydrological cycle. This can lead to soil moisture deficits, soil runoff, and decreased groundwater levels, causing hydrological drought. Studies have examined drought propagation and recovery using standardized indices and correlation analysis, but most failed to explain the hydrological processes controlling these processes. This proposal proposes studying drought propagation and recovery characteristics using a process-based approach based on water balance. The project aims to develop high-resolution precipitation and evapotranspiration data and observed streamflow data to identify interannual variations in storage characteristics and their impact on drought recovery and propagation. Remote sensing-based data will be used to monitor hydrological and agricultural droughts. The results of this study will benefit more efficient drought management and the development of next-generation drought early warning systems. The proposed research will provide insights into hydrological processes controlling drought propagation and recovery, improving current drought prediction models and enabling policymakers to develop better policies and allocate resources effectively to address the adverse impacts of drought on agriculture, water supply, environment, and socioeconomic conditions.