Drought risk assessment using GIS and remote sensing : case study : Kotido in Karamoja region.

Abstract

Drought is the most complex but least understood of all natural hazards. It is broadly defined as “severe water shortage". Low rainfall and fall in agricultural production has mainly caused droughts. A drought's impact constitutes losses of life, human suffering and damage to economy and, environment. Droughts have been a recurring feature of the Ugandan climate therefore study of historical droughts may help in the delineation of major areas facing drought risk and there by management plans can be formulated by the government authorities to cope with the disastrous effects of this hazard. In recent years, Geographic Information Science(GTS) and Remote Sensing(RS) have played a key role in studying different types of hazards either natural or man-made. This study stresses upon the use of RS and GIS in the field of brought risk Evaluation. In the present work an effort has. been made to derive drought risk areas facing agricultural as well as meteorological drought by use of satellite Images. United States Geological Survey (USGS) based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) (1984-2016) and meteorological based Standardized Precipitation Index(SPI). Resultant risk map obtained by integrating agriculture and meteorological drought risk map indicates the areas facing a combined hazard. It was evident from the study that central and eastern parts of Kotido are more prone to drought either agricultural or meteorological. The research shows motivating results that can be used in taking corrective measures timely to minimize the reduction in agricultural production in drought prone areas.