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Current Conditions

Map Updated:

< 24D

< 16D

< 8D

CURRENT

Intensity of Current Conditions

No Drought
Moderately Dry
Severely Dry
Extremely Dry
No Data

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DISCLAIMER

All the information products which are available in this information system have been generated with the highest degree of accuracy possible and depict the information at regional and national scales. Local conditions are subjected to change based on the local climatic conditions. These products have been produced based on the latest available satellite and global modeled data and subject to update every two weeks.

Intensity of Current Conditions

Drought Category	Probability of Occurrence	Risk Level	Possible Observe Conditions and Impacts
Moderate Drought	0-60 %	Medium	Warmer weather Less rainfall Delayed or shorter monsoon rains Falling agricultural crop production Water shortages
Severe Drought	0-20 %	High	Warmer weather Significantly less rainfall Delayed or shorter monsoon rains Falling agricultural crop production and disruptions to food production Water shortages in fresh water sources Water level drops in Mekong river Water level drops in Tonle sap Increasing salinity in the Mekong Delta Impact on fish reproduction in the Mekong river and Tonle Sap
Extreme Drought	0-20 %	High	Warmer weather Significantly less rainfall Delayed or shorter monsoon rains Exceptional Falling agricultural crop production and disruptions to food production Emergencies of water shortages in fresh water sources Significant water level drops in Mekong river and Tonle sap Severe increasing of salinity in the Mekong Delta Significant impact on fish reproduction in the Mekong river and Tonle sap Disruptions to the entire ecosystem around Mekong river

Drought Category

Probability of Occurrence

Risk Level

Possible Observe Conditions and Impacts

Moderate Drought

0-60 %

Medium

Warmer weather
Less rainfall
Delayed or shorter monsoon rains

Falling agricultural crop production
Water shortages

Severe Drought

0-20 %

High

Warmer weather
Significantly less rainfall
Delayed or shorter monsoon rains

Falling agricultural crop production and disruptions to food production
Water shortages in fresh water sources
Water level drops in Mekong river
Water level drops in Tonle sap
Increasing salinity in the Mekong Delta
Impact on fish reproduction in the Mekong river and Tonle Sap

Extreme Drought

0-20 %

High

Warmer weather
Significantly less rainfall
Delayed or shorter monsoon rains

Exceptional Falling agricultural crop production and disruptions to food production
Emergencies of water shortages in fresh water sources
Significant water level drops in Mekong river and Tonle sap
Severe increasing of salinity in the Mekong Delta
Significant impact on fish reproduction in the Mekong river and Tonle sap
Disruptions to the entire ecosystem around Mekong river

Outlook Warning

	Warning Category	Description (Source: G. Sepulcre-Canto et al, 2012)
	Watch	Precipitation is less than normal. There is an increased likelihood that there will be a drought affecting agriculture. The situation should be monitored closely and responses should be put into preparation.
	Warning	Soil moisture is in deficit. Drought that affects agriculture is expected. Put response strategies into action in order to minimise exposure.
	Alarm	Vegetation shows signs of stress. Drought has begun to affect agriculture. Continue with or strengthen response strategies and monitor the situation closely

DROUGHT SUMMARY

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INTERACTIVE MAP

FEATURE ARTICLES/KNOWLEDGE CENTER

CLIMATE STUDIES

Mekong Drought and Crop Watch

Droughts in the Lower Mekong region negatively impact ecosystem services, food and water security, and biodiversity. These impacts are exacerbated by climate change, further highlighting the need for improved governance and decision-making in virtually all sectors.

Application Purpose

improve the operational, technological, and institutional capabilities to prepare for and respond to droughts in the Lower Mekong region.
support local decision-makers in drought monitoring, analysis, and forecasting.
provide policy makers and growers with current and forecast drought indices to facilitate decision-making within the current growing season.
provide ecological and financial forecasting information to inform seasonal cropping decisions. Subsequent functionality may include additional information relevant to decisions at sub-seasonal or multi-year temporal scales.

Application Uses

The system can be used to assist local governments and the agricultural sector with seasonal drought forecasting and in implementing short and long-term mitigation measures during and in advance of droughts. It can also be used to characterize droughts through accurate, reliable, and timely estimates of their severity and impacts. In addition, the system can inform assessments of the economic, social, and environmental impacts of drought on vulnerable people and water-related resource systems. And finally, it can help develop critical regional and local thresholds reflecting increasing levels of risk and vulnerability to drought, as agreed by stakeholders.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Michigan State University

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Mekong River Commission

Vietnam Academy of Water Resources

Spatial Informatics Group

Stockholm Environment Institute

Deltares