Remote Sensing and GIS Approaches for Agricultural Drought Severity Assessment: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

A natural hazard caused by prolonged drought, drought has a significant effect on ecosystems, agriculture, and socioeconomic systems. Drought develops gradually, unlike abrupt natural disasters, making it challenging to identify, track, and measure. It poses major risks to crop productivity and livelihoods by negatively affecting vegetation growth, soil moisture, and water availability. Many satellite-based indices have been developed at the regional and national levels to monitor and assess drought and address these issues. Both meteorological and satellite-derived indices are frequently used to identify various types of droughts, including hydrological, agricultural, and meteorological. Global sensors such as NOAA-AVHRR and MODIS are widely used for vegetation analysis and drought assessment. Key meteorological parameters, including precipitation, temperature, humidity, and evapotranspiration, are essential for determining drought severity. These factors are used to create drought indices that account for precipitation shortages, climatic dryness, and delayed hydrological responses such as decreased soil moisture, declining reservoir levels, and weakened crop health. In order to analyze drought patterns, comprehend spatial-temporal variability, and pinpoint vulnerable areas, long-term historical records of satellite imagery and climate data are essential. Remote sensing is a useful tool for agricultural drought assessment and for well-informed decision-making, as the agricultural sector is particularly vulnerable to drought stress. Governmental organizations and local authorities can create efficient drought management and mitigation plans by integrating satellite-derived drought data with GIS. The importance of remotely sensed data in agricultural drought assessment is emphasized in this review, along with its potential to boost resilience, increase drought preparedness, and promote sustainable agricultural management.