Drought is a complex phenomenon which is difficult to define and measure. Drought hazards develop slowly, with no clear beginning or end, and operate on many different time scales. The impacts stretch over large areas and many sectors of the economy. As a result, the climatological community has defined four types of drought: meteorological drought, hydrological drought, agricultural drought, and socioeconomic drought.

Just as there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ definition of drought, there is no single index or indicator that can account for and be applied to all types of droughts, climate regimes, and sectors affected by droughts.

This webinar will provide an overview of different indicators and tools for characterizing, assessing, and monitoring meteorological droughts, which occur when a region is dominated by abnormally dry weather patterns.