Research Overview

Drought is one of the most complex and dynamic natural hazards that has significant impacts in terms of affected people and socioeconomic costs. Streamflow is the crucial variable that can be used to infer hydrological droughts as it considers runoffs from the surface and subsurface, for example, the contribution from the baseflow. The changing climate increases the frequency and intensity of streamflow droughts. Using station-based streamflow observations, we investigate streamflow droughts using a daily variable threshold approach. We investigate space-time trends in streamflow drought onset, and their deficit volume and identify persistency in the timing of event onset. Furthering this, we show the comprehend causal chain of physical processes linking climatic and physiographic controls on streamflow drought mechanisms, elucidating tropical climate response to water availability in a changing climate. The derived insights will aid in drought forecasting efforts and developing adaptation frameworks to mitigate extreme drought impact.