Development and evaluation of methodologies for monitoring droughts and their impacts on agriculture in data-scarce áreas

Abstract

Drought is one of the natural phenomena that causes the greatest socio-economic and environmental damage. Its impacts are of particular importance in agriculture, as this activity is closely linked to food security and quality of life in many territories. Droughts can occur in any climatic regime in the world, with arid and semi-arid areas being the most affected and prone to drought events. In regions particularly exposed and vulnerable to drought, specific drought studies are needed to help manage and mitigate its impacts. This thesis is a contribution to the management of drought and its impacts, specifically on agriculture. Several novel and bespoke methodologies were developed with the aim of increasing knowledge of drought phenomena and providing solutions for water resources and drought management. Freely available global scale hydrometeorological data sources were used, so that the methodologies can be applied to any country or region of the world. The case studies were Mozambique and Argentina, both are developing countries with significant agricultural activity (in terms of cropland extension) and prone to drought events. Methodologies focused on defining and understanding the spatio-temporal characteristics of droughts; defining and relating drought events to their triggers; validating tools for monitoring droughts and their impacts on agricultural activity; and knowledge transfer to all beneficiaries and stakeholders involved in drought management in data-scarce regions. The methodologies are of general applicability and can be replicated worldwide, providing meaningful information to the scientific, technical and management community to develop, calibrate or validate existing and new formulations. In addition, they could contribute to the creation of drought mitigation and adaptation plans aimed at reducing impacts, especially in agriculture.