Drought is defined as an exceptional period of water stress caused by low rainfall, high temperatures and/or wind. Periods of drought have a major impact on agriculture (e.g., crop failures or plant diseases), thus threatening people’s lives and health. Industrial sectors, such as shipping or the energy industry, are also affected when river water levels fall, or power plants must be shut down due to a lack of cooling water. Droughts can also exacerbate the risk of wildfires and bushfires.
Our risk assessment is based on a drought stress index we developed, which takes into account numerous precipitation-related parameters, such as annual precipitation, the duration of drought periods, and the average annual maximum temperature. The index values range from 0 (no stress) to 10 (extreme and frequently recurring stress situations).