Drought and climate teleconnection and drought monitoring

Abstract Drought is a complex natural phenomenon with different connotations in different fields of study. Driven by the different oceanic basin ocean-atmospheric interaction processes, meteorological drought is seen as a strict atmospheric phenomenon whose effect extends from atmospheric dryness that propagates to influence agricultural productivity, freshwater sustainability, and disruption in a socioeconomic system. Among the many ocean-atmospheric interaction processes, El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), and Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITZ) have an extensive spatial influence with different timescales. As results, drought can occur in any area at various intensities in one or any combined forms of the four-drought type—meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, and socioeconomic droughts. However, its impact is a function of the vulnerability of the physical environment and societal coping capacity. A sustained drought can prominently affect agricultural productivity that could lead to famine and death. Severe drought is a drought that persists for a considerable period impacting both surface and groundwater resources causing a dwindling of water supply and freshwater-dependent infrastructure development. A society with low coping ability, limited disaster risk management strategy, and preparedness is liable to socioeconomic drought. To tackle such challenges, a clear understanding of the cause and effect of drought in a given location is necessary. Drought monitoring techniques have a wide range of applicability and importance to address such challenges. In this chapter, the causes of drought, types of drought, and the propagation of drought as a system dynamic process are discussed. Drought monitoring techniques and applications to freshwater management are summarized.