ABSTRACT
Drought is a compelling global environmental phenomenon, and meteorological conditions have been observed to be the most important factors in the evolution of drought. Manifestations of drought vary from place to place but water deficit underpins all types of these manifestations. The impact of drought can be overwhelming, and environmental evaluation enables the determination of the degree of impact, which is normally classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Some of these environmental evaluations include air, temperature, rainfall (precipitation), soil temperature, crop performance, and occurrence of El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). However, there is no single method that can properly capture the onset and the severity of drought; hence, multiple approaches are being utilized for detection and mitigation. Satellites, computers, communication and information technology, modeling, and mathematical algorithms are some of the technologies employed in the environmental evaluation of drought. Being a global disaster, there is a need for international cooperation in information sharing and technological transfer, training, and capacity building with 632regard to drought prediction, monitoring, mitigation, and management, particularly with respect to developing countries. Continuous environmental evaluation and more research are desirable in drought management, particularly the interfaces between drought and other related extreme events like floods and forest fires. All these will enable different countries to develop drought mitigation and management policies and to improve the existing ones.
