Drought Severity Assessment in Arid Area of Thal Doab using Remote Sensing and GIS

Droughts are one of the worst types of natural disasters.  Unlike tornadoes and hurricanes, which destroy the landscape within seconds, droughts drain the vitality out of the environment slowly.  After prolonged droughts the environment is left as a desert wasteland making it impossible to inhabit with the exception for the hardiest of plants and animals.  Droughts have recently become a major cause for concern in Pakistan, an agriculturally dependent country.  After analyzing several functions and anomalies, Shaheen and Baig have determined that the droughts have become worse and worse, “the drought from 1999 to 2001 was the worst in the last 50 years” (As shown in the figure below).

As a result, crop yields are declining at an increased rate.  In 2007, the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) indicated that there was an increase in rainfall helping to relieve the environment.  Overall the droughts have become more severe and more widespread showing that as time progresses more and more of the region studied shall become desert like with harsh living conditions.  Shaheen's report supports the belief that in order for the studied region to produce a higher crop yield, the region must have more rain.  Without more rain, the area of usable land for agriculture will continue to diminish, forcing the local inhabitants to find alternative means for providing for themselves and their families.


Shaheen Asthma, Baig Muhammad (2011). Drought Severity Assessment in Arid Area of Thal Doab using Remote Sensing and GIS. International Journal of Water Resources and Arid Environments 1(2): 92-101.