FAQ about Drought and Water Scarcity

7. How many types of droughts exist and what are they?

Meteorological drought occurs when there is a prolonged period of lack of precipitation. That’s generally precedes the other forms of drought.

Hydrological drought occurs when the available water reserves in sources such as aquifers, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs are below the statistical average. This drought tends to appear more slowly because it deals with stored water. This kind of drought is usually caused by poor precipitation, although it can have other causes as well.

Agricultural drought is the one that affects crop production. Its main cause is the absence of rain on agricultural fields, but it also arises as a result of erroneous agricultural activities.

Drought due to deforestation of forests. The first consequence of the reduction of trees is the reduction of humidity and the production of clouds. As a result, less rainfall is produced and therefore drought increases, to the detriment of the forests, their inhabitants, their biodiversity and the neighbors of nearby and even distant towns. In addition, deforestation and drought prepare the conditions for large forest fires.

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