Drought Atlas of India, 1901–2020

Abstract

India has been considerably affected by droughts in the recent past. Despite the considerable impacts of droughts on agriculture and water resources, long-term datasets to examine droughts and their consequences at appropriate spatial and temporal scales have been lacking in India. Datasets that provide drought information are mostly available for a short period and at coarser resolutions, therefore, these do not comprehend the information regarding the major droughts that occurred in the distant past at administrative scales of decision-making. To fill this critical gap, we developed the high-resolution (0.05°) and long-term monthly precipitation and temperature datasets for the 1901–2021 period. We used long-term high-resolution precipitation and temperature to estimate droughts using standardized precipitation and evapotranspiration index (SPEI). As SPEI considers the role of air temperature in drought estimation, it can be used to examine meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological droughts. Using high-resolution SPEI, we developed drought atlas for India (1901–2020) that can provide comprehensive information on drought occurrence, impacts, and risks in India.