Enhanced Modulation of Rapid/Flash Drought in India: An Elegant Framework

The land system dries up quickly and intensely during rapid/flash droughts under climate warming are of widespread concern owing to their adverse impact on nation’s economy. During these periods, reduction in precipitation deficits is frequently followed by abrupt increases in evaporative demand, which causes significant drops in soil moisture and discernible effects on agricultural production and the environment. The need for a better knowledge on rapid drought conditions to effectively manage its effects has been highlighted in several recent publications; Nevertheless, the lack of consistent definitions have limited progress toward its assessment. There are several factors and climatic forces that are typically connected to the development of flash droughts, thus it's conceivable that no one definition will fully encapsulate the phenomenon. But it's imperative to ensure that flash droughts (lasts for short duration) can be recognized and differentiated from more traditional drought occurrences (longer duration) due to their quick onset, quick intensification, and severe character. With the increasing use of rapid /flash drought term within the research community, this study explores the extent to which pentad-scale precipitation series across India can be used to represent historical flash droughts, providing a simple framework for the phenomenon. The result shows the categorization of rapid/flash drought at various hotspot location in India and explain it’s causing and triggering factor linked with acute precipitation deficits, one of meteorological variable. The findings of this study can be further utilized in the accurate prediction of flash/rapid drought with the robust evidence from precipitation series in identifying flash drought episodes across the nation. Consequently, our findings indicate that constant monitoring of rapid drought conditions and drivers is crucial for effective preparedness.