🏜️ Drought: Types & Management
Study meteorological, hydrological and agricultural drought types for CUET. Drought indices, contingency planning and moisture conservation.
Types of Drought
Drought is a prolonged period of water deficiency that affects agriculture, water supplies, and ecosystems. There are four types of drought, each defined from a different perspective:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Meteorological drought | A significant decrease in rainfall below normal for a region over a prolonged period. This is the starting point — when rain simply doesn't come. |
| Agricultural drought | When the soil moisture deficit becomes severe enough to affect crop growth and yield. This can occur even with some rainfall if evapotranspiration exceeds soil moisture replenishment. |
| Hydrological drought | A deficit in surface and subsurface water supply — rivers dry up, reservoirs deplete, and groundwater levels drop. This typically lags behind meteorological drought. |
| Socio-economic drought | When water shortage affects the supply and demand of economic goods — food prices rise, livelihoods are lost, and communities face hardship. |
NOTE
The four types of drought occur in sequence: Meteorological → Agricultural → Hydrological → Socio-economic. A short dry spell may cause only meteorological drought, but a prolonged one cascades through all four stages.
Pro Content Locked
Upgrade to Pro to access this lesson and all other premium content.
₹99 charged monthly · Cancel anytime
- All Agriculture & Banking Courses
- AI Lesson Questions (100/day)
- AI Doubt Solver (50/day)
- Glows & Grows Feedback (30/day)
- AI Section Quiz (20/day)
- 22-Language Translation (100/day)
- Recall Questions (20/day)
- AI Quiz (15/day)
- AI Quiz Paper Analysis (100/day)
- AI Step-by-Step Explanations (100/day)
- Spaced Repetition Recall (FSRS)
- AI Tutor
- Immersive Text Questions
- Audio Lessons — Hindi & English
- Mock Tests & Previous Year Papers
- Summary & Mind Maps
- XP, Levels, Leaderboard & Badges
- Generate New Classrooms
- Voice AI Teacher (AgriDots Live)
- AI Revision Assistant
- Knowledge Gap Analysis
- Interactive Revision (LangGraph)
🔒 Secure via Razorpay · Cancel anytime · No hidden fees
Types of Drought
Drought is a prolonged period of water deficiency that affects agriculture, water supplies, and ecosystems. There are four types of drought, each defined from a different perspective:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Meteorological drought | A significant decrease in rainfall below normal for a region over a prolonged period. This is the starting point — when rain simply doesn't come. |
| Agricultural drought | When the soil moisture deficit becomes severe enough to affect crop growth and yield. This can occur even with some rainfall if evapotranspiration exceeds soil moisture replenishment. |
| Hydrological drought | A deficit in surface and subsurface water supply — rivers dry up, reservoirs deplete, and groundwater levels drop. This typically lags behind meteorological drought. |
| Socio-economic drought | When water shortage affects the supply and demand of economic goods — food prices rise, livelihoods are lost, and communities face hardship. |
NOTE
The four types of drought occur in sequence: Meteorological → Agricultural → Hydrological → Socio-economic. A short dry spell may cause only meteorological drought, but a prolonged one cascades through all four stages.
Drought Management in Agriculture
Several strategies can help farmers cope with and mitigate the effects of drought:
- Contingency crop planning: When drought is anticipated, farmers can switch to short-duration, drought-tolerant varieties that can complete their life cycle with less water and in less time.
- Moisture conservation techniques: Practices like mulching (covering soil to reduce evaporation), ridges and furrows (directing water to plant roots), and dust mulch (breaking the soil surface crust to prevent capillary water loss) help conserve available moisture.
- Drought-tolerant crops: Certain crops are naturally more resilient — millets (bajra/pearl millet, jowar/sorghum) and pulses (cowpea, moth bean) have deep root systems and low water requirements.
- Seed priming: A technique where seeds are pre-soaked in water (or specific solutions) before sowing. This partial hydration triggers early metabolic processes, improving germination speed and uniformity under water-stress conditions.
- Anti-transpirants: Substances applied to leaves to reduce water loss through transpiration. Examples include Kaolin (a reflective clay that reduces leaf temperature) and PMA (Phenylmercuric acetate) which causes stomatal closure.
WARNING
PMA (Phenylmercuric acetate) is a mercury-based compound and is being phased out due to environmental and health concerns. In modern agriculture, Kaolin-based anti-transpirants are preferred.
Key Points to Remember
- Four drought types in cascade order: Meteorological → Agricultural → Hydrological → Socio-economic
- Agricultural drought = soil moisture deficit severe enough to reduce crop yield
- Drought-tolerant crops: millets (bajra, jowar) and pulses (cowpea, moth bean)
- Seed priming = pre-soaking seeds to improve germination under drought stress
- Anti-transpirants: Kaolin (preferred, reflective clay) and PMA (being phased out — mercury-based)
- Dust mulch = breaking surface crust to prevent capillary water loss
Summary Cheat Sheet
| Concept / Topic | Key Details / Explanation |
|---|---|
| Drought — Definition | Prolonged period of water deficiency affecting agriculture, water supplies, and ecosystems |
| Four Types of Drought (Cascade Order) | Meteorological → Agricultural → Hydrological → Socio-economic |
| Meteorological Drought | Significant decrease in rainfall below normal for a region over a prolonged period |
| Agricultural Drought | Soil moisture deficit severe enough to affect crop growth and yield; can occur even with some rainfall if evapotranspiration exceeds replenishment |
| Hydrological Drought | Deficit in surface and subsurface water — rivers dry up, reservoirs deplete, groundwater drops; lags behind meteorological drought |
| Socio-economic Drought | Water shortage affects supply and demand of economic goods — food prices rise, livelihoods lost |
| Contingency Crop Planning | Switch to short-duration, drought-tolerant varieties when drought is anticipated |
| Moisture Conservation Techniques | Mulching (reduces evaporation), ridges & furrows (directs water to roots), dust mulch (breaks surface crust to prevent capillary water loss) |
| Drought-Tolerant Crops | Millets (bajra/pearl millet, jowar/sorghum) and pulses (cowpea, moth bean) — deep roots, low water needs |
| Seed Priming | Seeds pre-soaked in water before sowing → improves germination speed and uniformity under water stress |
| Anti-transpirants | Substances applied to leaves to reduce transpiration. Kaolin — reflective clay, reduces leaf temperature (preferred). PMA (Phenylmercuric acetate) — causes stomatal closure; mercury-based, being phased out. |
Lesson Doubts
Ask questions, get expert answers