Multi-Sensor Remote Sensing of Drought from Space

Abstract

Drought monitoring is vital considering the immense costs of this natural hazard. The root cause for all types of drought (meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, and socio-economic) is sustained below average precipitation. Since regional precipitation variability depends on large-scale climatic and oceanic circulation patterns, it is necessary to study droughts from a global perspective which requires satellite observations. Satellite data allow comprehensive assessment of drought onset, development, and recovery through a multi-sensor multivariate monitoring of hydrological variables. However, there are major challenges in using satellite data, including consistency, reliability, uncertainty, and length of record that merit more in-depth research.