An approach to monitoring drought events and food security conditions

Early Warning Systems (EWS) for drought are currently underdeveloped compared to other hazards. In fact, the multifaceted nature of drought (i.e. hydrological, meteorological, and agricultural) necessitates a number of different ways to measure this phenomenon and its effects. In the present study an approach to identifying and monitoring drought events is presented. The EWS developed is based on the early detection and monitoring of vegetation stress on a global scale. Moreover, a simplified vulnerability model, applied to the hazard data, yields the food security conditions for the investigated area. The model includes agricultural indicators and socio-economic factors linked to people’s strategy to supply the food they need. The performance of the proposed EWS is reported for a case study which confirms its potential usefulness for decision-makers and humanitarian actors operating in the context of drought and famine crisis.