The drought is the result of a sometimes imperceptible process. It can last for months or weeks, but when it does, it has a major environmental impact.
Scientists and environmentalists are constantly and continuously analyzing how drought occurs and spreads in different regions in order to avoid possible disastrous impacts.
One example is a publication in the journal Global and Planetary Change, which recently published a study analyzing the evolution of humidity in European soil over the last 30 years. The conclusion they reached was that the soil has less and less water.
Drought should be considered a problem because it represents the scarcity of water resources and the consequent response of the environment on ecosystems.
In the agricultural area, drought can have a great economic impact, in addition to affecting entire communities that live from a given production system.
Different types of drought
There is more than one type of drought, and this phenomenon can vary according to the hydrological process, as well as the natural and socioeconomic environment. The most common types of drought are:
Meteorological drought: when there are fewer than normal episodes and amounts of precipitation over a prolonged period of time.
Hydrological drought: when water resources, surface, or groundwater are below normal for a given period of time.
Agricultural drought: this occurs when the availability of water in the soil for plants is lower and negatively affects crop yields and agricultural production.
Socioeconomic impact of the agricultural drought
Agricultural drought results in a great social impact as those affected are a sensitive and socioeconomic sector. In addition to affecting farmers and the community that depends on this economy, it can also generate food supply problems for the population, causing changes in prices and deregulating access to food.
The International Iberoamerican University (UNIB) promotes studies related to this topic, such as:
Source: Agricultural drought in Europe is becoming increasingly frequent, intense, and long-lasting
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