India’s agriculture and water resources remain highly dependent on the south-west monsoon. Therefore, even moderate rainfall deficits, when combined with poor water management, can generate recurrent drought conditions.
Climatic Factors
- Monsoon variability: Delayed onset, early withdrawal or long dry spells can sharply reduce seasonal rainfall.
- El Niño: Warming of the equatorial Pacific often weakens the Indian monsoon and increases drought risk.
- Uneven spatial distribution: Some regions receive deficient rainfall even when all-India rainfall is near normal.
- Climate change: Rising temperatures increase evapotranspiration, intensify soil-moisture loss and make rainfall more erratic.
- Rain-shadow geography: Interior parts of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are naturally drought-prone.
Human-Induced Factors
- Groundwater over-extraction lowers aquifers and reduces drought resilience.
- Cultivation of water-intensive crops such as sugarcane in dry regions aggravates water stress.
- Loss of tanks, wetlands and local water bodies reduces natural storage capacity.
- Deforestation and land degradation weaken soil moisture retention and recharge.
- Poor irrigation efficiency and weak watershed management worsen meteorological drought into agricultural and hydrological drought.
Conclusion
Recurring droughts in India result from the interaction of climatic variability with unsustainable water and land use. Long-term resilience requires watershed restoration, crop diversification, efficient irrigation and scientific drought preparedness.
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Drought in India: Climatic Risks and Human Factors