droughtresilience

Drought resilience, sometimes written as droughtresilience, is the capacity of a system to anticipate, withstand, adapt to, and recover from drought events. It emphasizes maintaining essential functions during water scarcity and recovering quickly afterward, rather than merely resisting damage.

Drought resilience applies to natural ecosystems, agricultural systems, urban water supply, industry, and local economies. It relies on reducing exposure and sensitivity to drought while expanding adaptive capacity through planning, governance, and innovation.

Key components include risk assessment and planning, water demand management, and investments in water supply augmentation, efficiency, and risk reduction. Practices such as soil moisture management, drought-tolerant crops, crop diversification, rainwater harvesting, and improved irrigation support resilience. Ecosystem-based approaches, including watershed restoration and sustainable groundwater governance, also contribute to resilience.

Measurement and indicators involve drought indices like the Standardized Precipitation Index and the Palmer Drought Severity Index to track severity, along with indicators of exposure, recovery time, adaptive capacity, and vulnerability. Institutional tools such as early warning systems, drought contingency planning, and social safety nets help translate resilience concepts into action.

In the context of climate change, droughts are projected to become more frequent and intense in many regions, making resilience-building a central objective of adaptation strategies. Effective drought resilience combines technological, policy, and nature-based solutions tailored to local conditions and needs.