Please direct all questions and comments to Dr. Christian De Kimpe Drought Drought is a prolonged period of abnormally dry weather that depletes water resources. Because most human activities and ecosystems are dependent on reliable adequate water resources, the impacts of drought are far reaching. Drought affects our lives by putting stress on water and food supplies degrading the environment through poorer water quality and more forest fires, soil erosion, and insect infestations affecting the economy by reducing the capacity for agricultural production, power generation, transportation, and manufacturing. In agricultural terms, the moisture deficit caused by drought places farmland soils at risk and poses a threat to both crop and livestock production.
Severe droughts can cause millions of dollars in losses to farmers.
Although drought can occur in every type of climate, semi-arid regions, such as the interior of British Columbia and the southern part of the Prairies, are most vulnerable, because they are usually moisture deficient already and have highly variable precipitation. Drought can affect areas from the size of a city to an entire continent. Of all meteorological hazards, drought is probably the slowest to develop, lasts the longest, and is the least predictable. Agricultural drought occurs when low soil moisture and scarce water supplies stunt crop growth, reduce crop yields, and endanger livestock. Hydrological drought occurs when a lengthy meteorological drought causes a sharp drop in the levels of groundwater, rivers, and lakes.