Editorial Type:
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Article Type:
Research Article

Development of an Experimental Near-Real-Time Drought Monitor for India

Reepal D. Shah Civil Engineering, and Information Technology Research Academy Water Project: Measurement to Management (M2M), Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India

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Vimal Mishra Civil Engineering, and Information Technology Research Academy Water Project: Measurement to Management (M2M), Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India

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Print Publication:
01 Feb 2015
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-14-0041.1
Page(s):
327–345
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Abstract

Persistent and widespread drought hampers water resources management and crop production. India has faced frequent droughts over the last few decades. Despite the detrimental impacts of droughts in India, a real-time monitoring system at appropriate spatial and temporal resolution has been lacking. Here, an experimental drought monitor for India is developed that operates daily at a spatial resolution of 0.25° and provides near-real-time information on droughts. The real-time daily precipitation data are obtained from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) while daily temperatures are obtained from the Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS), version 2. Near-real-time precipitation and temperatures are bias corrected using the historic precipitation and temperature data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Data extending from the past to near present were reconstructed by combining IMD (1969–2010) with real-time, bias-corrected TRMM and GEFS datasets (2010 onward). The experimental drought monitor provides information on meteorological, hydrological, and agricultural droughts using the standardized precipitation index (SPI), standardized runoff index (SRI), and standardized soil moisture index (SSI), respectively. Soil moisture and runoff are simulated using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model in near–real time to estimate the severity and areal extent of agricultural and hydrological droughts. The severity and areal extent of droughts from the experimental drought monitor are successfully evaluated against a satellite-based drought severity index. The experimental drought monitor provides high-resolution drought information (district level) that can be valuable for natural resources management and policy making.

Supplemental information related to this paper is available at the Journals Online website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-14-0041.s1.

Corresponding author address: Vimal Mishra, Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, VGEC Campus, Chandkheda, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382424, India. E-mail: vmishra@iitgn.ac.in

Abstract

Persistent and widespread drought hampers water resources management and crop production. India has faced frequent droughts over the last few decades. Despite the detrimental impacts of droughts in India, a real-time monitoring system at appropriate spatial and temporal resolution has been lacking. Here, an experimental drought monitor for India is developed that operates daily at a spatial resolution of 0.25° and provides near-real-time information on droughts. The real-time daily precipitation data are obtained from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) while daily temperatures are obtained from the Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS), version 2. Near-real-time precipitation and temperatures are bias corrected using the historic precipitation and temperature data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Data extending from the past to near present were reconstructed by combining IMD (1969–2010) with real-time, bias-corrected TRMM and GEFS datasets (2010 onward). The experimental drought monitor provides information on meteorological, hydrological, and agricultural droughts using the standardized precipitation index (SPI), standardized runoff index (SRI), and standardized soil moisture index (SSI), respectively. Soil moisture and runoff are simulated using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model in near–real time to estimate the severity and areal extent of agricultural and hydrological droughts. The severity and areal extent of droughts from the experimental drought monitor are successfully evaluated against a satellite-based drought severity index. The experimental drought monitor provides high-resolution drought information (district level) that can be valuable for natural resources management and policy making.

Supplemental information related to this paper is available at the Journals Online website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-14-0041.s1.

Corresponding author address: Vimal Mishra, Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, VGEC Campus, Chandkheda, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382424, India. E-mail: vmishra@iitgn.ac.in

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