Question

What are the factors responsible for drought ?

Hint:

When explaining the causes of drought, divide them into Natural causes (mainly lack of rain, high temperatures) and Human causes (deforestation, overuse of water, climate change). This provides a clear and comprehensive structure to your answer.

Answer 1

Drought is a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water. It is a complex phenomenon caused by a combination of natural and human-induced factors. 
Natural Factors (Meteorological): 

\[\begin{array}{rl} \bullet & \text{Deficient Rainfall: The primary cause is a lack of precipitation over an extended period. This can be due to delayed or failed monsoons, or shifts in large-scale weather patterns like El Niño.} \\ \bullet & \text{High Temperatures and Evaporation: Unusually high temperatures, strong winds, and low humidity increase the rate of evaporation from soil and water bodies, and transpiration from plants, thus depleting water resources faster.} \\ \bullet & \text{Climatic Variability: Natural climate cycles can lead to periods of below-average rainfall in certain regions.} \end{array}\] 
 

Human-Induced Factors (Hydrological and Agricultural): 

\[\begin{array}{rl} \bullet & \text{Deforestation: The large-scale cutting of forests reduces the soil's ability to hold water and disrupts the water cycle, often leading to reduced rainfall in the long term.} \\ \bullet & \text{Over-exploitation of Water Resources: Excessive withdrawal of groundwater for irrigation and urban use leads to the depletion of aquifers. Poor management of surface water in reservoirs and canals also contributes to water scarcity.} \\ \bullet & \text{Unsustainable Agricultural Practices: The cultivation of water-intensive crops (like sugarcane or rice) in drought-prone areas puts immense stress on water resources.} \\ \bullet & \text{Climate Change: Human-induced global warming is altering weather patterns, making droughts more frequent and severe in many parts of the world.} \end{array}\]