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Multiple indices based agricultural drought assessment in Tripura, northeast India

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Abstract

Precise and timely information regarding the beginning of the drought, its extent, intensity, and severity is a basic necessity to cope and mitigate climate-induced natural hazards like drought. Agriculture, one of the most sensitive sectors to drought as it has serious implications for the agriculture sector, which is heavily reliant on rainfall. Information can help reduce casualties and human suffering as well as a hamper on the economy and the environment. In this present study, RS and GIS methods were employed to assess the agricultural drought in Tripura, NE India. The standardized precipitation index (SPI) was used to identify meteorological drought. To analyze and describe the soil moisture conditions and agricultural drought, intense drought years, were examined among the drought years. The satellite image–based indices were created to estimate soil moisture levels and the severity of agricultural drought. To evaluate soil moisture conditions, the temperature-vegetation dryness index (TVDI) was employed. NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index), temperature condition index (TCI), vegetation condition index (VCI), and vegetation health index (VHI) were the indicators used to determine agricultural drought. These indicators were generated using moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data from the chosen years 2001–2013. The meteorological drought assessment according to SPI at 6 months time frame concluded with an average of 10 drought events throughout the study period. The years 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2012 were most severe among the drought years observed. Observations for agricultural drought as a result of the progress of the above meteorological drought were in harmony with the indicators depicting the geographical variation and intensity of agricultural droughts. Drought’s influence on agriculture has been considerably increased despite the development of irrigation in the region. Hence, the uplift of irrigation potential in the region is the best viable option to mitigate the increasing drought hazard on agriculture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of SWCE, CAEPHT, CAU (I), East Sikkim, Ranipool, 737135, Sikkim, India

    Aribam Priya Mahanta Sharma, Deepak Jhajharia & Ghanashyam Singh Yurembam

  2. Department of IDE, CAEPHT, CAU (I), East Sikkim, Ranipool, 737135, Sikkim, India

    Shivam Gupta

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  1. Aribam Priya Mahanta Sharma
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  3. Shivam Gupta
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  4. Ghanashyam Singh Yurembam
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Correspondence to Aribam Priya Mahanta Sharma.

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Sharma, A.P.M., Jhajharia, D., Gupta, S. et al. Multiple indices based agricultural drought assessment in Tripura, northeast India. Arab J Geosci 15, 636 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-09855-0

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