RECONNAISSANCE DROUGHT INDEX AS POTENTIAL DROUGHT MONITORING TOOL IN A DECCAN PLATEAU, HOT SEMI-ARID CLIMATIC ZONE

FRANCIS KWARTENG¹, G. SHWETHA²*, RAHUL PATIL^3
1Department of Soil and Water Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering, University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, Karnataka, India
²Department of Soil and Water Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering, University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, Karnataka, India
³Department of Soil and Water Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering, University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, Karnataka, India
* Corresponding Author : shwethag.937@gmail.com

Received : 03-05-2016     Accepted : 30-07-2016     Published : 27-10-2016
Volume : 8     Issue : 51       Pages : 2183 - 2186
Int J Agr Sci 8.51 (2016):2183-2186

Keywords : Reconnaissance Drought Index, Global warming, Drought, Food security, Hot semi-arid climate, Raichur
Academic Editor : Basavaraj Patil
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : None declared
Author Contribution : None declared

The risk associated with climate and its variability over Raichur district is the major determining factor for agricultural productivity and has a major impact on food security in that region. The district most of the time reels under drought and have devastating effects on agricultural production and livelihood. Such has justified concerns of assisting with climate information converted into indices forming part of early warning tools to assist with multifactorial decisions of the sort agricultural producers need to make in relation to drought. Due to the hot semi-arid climate of Raichur district, the Reconnaissance Drought Index, which is sensitive to global warming, was employed to assess drought over 100-year time series. The tool was effective in drought assessment and predicts probability of drought occurrence, which is in a better position to inform stakeholders and decision makers on early warning measures with respect to mitigating drought in the district.