Study proposes new way to define drought, capturing natural variations and human actions

Multiple factors affect how droughts are defined, including human activities. Credit: NOAA CPO

The most commonly used drought definitions are based on deficits in precipitation and runoff. However, in a recent study, supported by the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) through CPO’s Modeling, Analysis, Predictions, and Projections (MAPP) program, researchers suggest that within human‐water systems, drought must be defined and understood as the complex and interrelated dynamics of both natural and human‐induced changes. The study, "Anthropogenic Drought: Definition, Challenges, and Opportunities," was led by the University of California, Irvine and published in the journal Reviews of Geophysics.

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