Analysis Methods for Hydrological Drought

Abstract

According to the World Meteorological Organization, the total economic impact of drought in Europe in the past 30 years was close to €100 billion. A recent publication by the European Environment Agency states that meteorological and hydrological droughts have become more frequent and severe in most of Europe, “being the highest in southern Europe.” Significant changes in worldwide hydrography have occurred recently, as evidenced by the drying up of some lakes and a decrease in river flows. In a handbook published by WMO and Global Water Partnership, a set of indices and indicators were proposed to investigate different drought types. The data needed to calculate these indices refers to different hydrometeorological variables, and their analysis must be carried out. The indices based on remote sensing data could offer a viable alternative to improve the observation. Based on different applications realized by the authors, we propose a review of the methods used to identify hydrological drought. It suggests a methodology appropriate to the Dobrogea region in southeastern Romania.