1. Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Course on Coping with Drought About Drought Lesson 1: What is drought ? Drought is one of the natural hazards or natural disasters. When we hear the words natural disasters, we usually think of earthquakes, fires, floods, etc. These events are sudden and frightening, that can cause a great deal of devastation, and that make a lasting impression on us. Earthquake DisasterFires DisasterFloods Disaster

2. Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Course on Coping with Drought About Drought Drought usually is not the first disaster that comes to our mind! That is because drought, unlike floods or an earthquake, for example, usually does not have a sudden beginning or end. We can see floods, and feel an earthquake even before their damage, but we can only experience drought after its damage. Drought affected cropDrought affected livestockWater scarcity Lesson 1: What is drought ?

3. Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Course on Coping with Drought About Drought Drought is a normal, recurrent feature of climate. It occurs almost everywhere, although its features vary from region to region. Defining drought is therefore difficult; it depends on differences in regions, needs, and disciplinary perspectives. In the most general sense, drought originates from a deficiency of rainfall over an extended period of time, resulting in a water shortage for some activity, group, or environmental sector. Lesson 1: What is drought ?

4. Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Course on Coping with Drought About Drought Different disciplines have different perceptions about drought. Meteorologists define drought as rainless or rain- deficit period. Plant Physiologists or Agronomists consider drought as a condition of shortage of moisture for growing crops. Hydrologists refers to deficiencies in surface and subsurface water supplies measured as stream flow and as lake, reservoir, and groundwater levels. Socio-economists view drought as water shortage affecting people – individually and collectively over a region/country. Lesson 1: What is drought ?

5. Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Course on Coping with Drought About Drought For a farmer drought means that there is not enough water in the soil for crops to grow normally or not enough of grass for the livestock. For farmers who rely on irrigation to produce their crops, drought may be a shortage of water in reservoirs, streams, or wells (groundwater), and irrigation may be restricted to grow a good crop. For example, the drought leads to delayed sowing or poor growth of standing crop or even no possibility to grow any crop. Lesson 1: What is drought ?

6. Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Course on Coping with Drought About Drought Pooling all the stated definitions, drought is variability in rainfall which adversely affects availability of water which in turn affects farm operations, agricultural productivity, income, and food consumption patterns of people, especially poor farmers. Lesson 1: What is drought ?

7. Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Course on Coping with Drought About Drought This concludes the Lesson 1 on What is Drought? in this Module. If you would like to check your understanding of the meaning of drought, click “Exercise” button. Next, Lesson 2 is about the features or characteristics of drought. In the third and final Lesson in this Module, the causes of drought are briefly described. Click “Lessons” button to select Lesson 2 Exercise Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Course on Coping with Drought About Drought Lessons