Drought Vulnerability Assesment of Vadakarapathy

Abstract

Drought is a recurring natural hazard that significantly impacts water resources, agriculture, ecosystems, and socio- economic stability. This study focuses on the analysis of drought characteristics using meteorological indices to evaluate temporal and spatial variations. Standardized indices such as the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) were applied to long-term rainfall and climatic data to assess drought intensity, duration, and frequency. The results reveal distinct seasonal and inter-annual fluctuations, with severe droughts occurring predominantly during monsoon deficits. Spatial mapping highlights vulnerable zones that are consistently prone to water stress. The findings provide valuable insights for drought monitoring and management, emphasizing the need for effective early warning systems and adaptive water resource planning. This analysis contributes to strengthening regional drought resilience and supporting sustainable development strategies.

Introduction

The document explains drought as a silent disaster and focuses on its impact in Vadakarapathy village, Palakkad district, Kerala. Although Kerala receives high rainfall, areas like Palakkad lie in the rain shadow region of the Western Ghats, making them more prone to rainfall shortages. The village depends heavily on monsoon rains and groundwater for agriculture and daily use, which increases its vulnerability during dry periods.

???? Causes of Drought in the Area:

• Unpredictable and uneven rainfall

• Heavy dependence on groundwater

• Rainfed agricultural practices

• Limited irrigation infrastructure

• Socio-economic constraints of small farmers

• Lack of water storage systems

???? Consequences:

• Crop failure and agricultural income loss

• Water scarcity for drinking and irrigation

• Economic stress and migration

• Soil degradation and environmental damage

• Social conflicts and health issues

???? Drought Vulnerability Assessment

The study calculates Drought Vulnerability using the formula:

Vulnerability = f(Exposure, Sensitivity, Adaptive Capacity)

1?? Exposure

Exposure measures how much the area is affected by rainfall variations using:

• Rainfall Deviation

• Standard Precipitation Index (SPI)

From the 30-year rainfall data (1994–2024), the calculated result is:
? Exposure = 0.5361 (Moderate Exposure)
This indicates the region experiences noticeable rainfall variability but not extreme exposure overall.

2?? Sensitivity

Sensitivity measures how strongly the system (agriculture and groundwater) is affected by drought.
It depends on:

• Groundwater levels

• Seasonal fluctuations (pre-monsoon and post-monsoon data)

Higher sensitivity means greater impact from rainfall reduction.

Conclusion

This study evaluated drought vulnerability in the study area by analyzing several environmental and socio-economic factors such as soil characteristics, land use/land cover, groundwater depth, drainage density, irrigation ratio, and population density. These parameters were used to calculate the sensitivity and adaptive capacity of the area, which were then combined to obtain the Drought Vulnerability Index (DVI). The results show that the study area falls under low drought vulnerability. One of the main reasons for this may be the high irrigation of agricultural crops, which helps farmers manage water shortages during dry periods. The availability of irrigati on facilities improves the adaptive capacity of the region and reduces the overall impact of drought conditions. Overall, the study shows that effective water use and irrigation practices play an important role in reducing drought risk. The findings of this study can be useful for planners and local authorities in promoting better water resource management and sustainable agricultural practices in the future.

References

[1] Sruthi D. Sivan & S. K. Pramada et al., (2024); \"Spatiotemporal analysis of historic and future drought characteristics over a monsoon dominated humid region (Kerala) in India\", Springer Nature. [2] Sruthi D. Sivan et al., (2024); \"Comparative Analysis of SPI and SPEI as Meteorological Drought Indices in the Highland Region of Kerala\", ResearchGate. [3] Nivya Sekharan et al., (2022); \"Drought Intensity Mapping of Kannur District, Kerala, India\", ResearchGate. [4] R. Vigneshwari et al., (2024); \"Analysis of Meteorological Drought for Selected Districts of Saurashtra Region of Gujarat\", International Journal of Environment and Climate Change. [5] Lal Thompsan et al., (2021); \"Precepts for Groundwater Drought Index in Kerala: A Case Study from Chaliyar River Basin\", Special Publication of the Geological Society of India.

Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Ahammed Yasim VP, Fathima Ridha C, Mohammed Sinan A P, Rishana Sherin MP, Prof. Anagha . This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.