According to the Aridity Anomaly Outlook Index for July, issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) this year, at least 85% of districts faced arid conditions across India. Also, around 21.06 percent of India was facing drought-like conditions, according to the Drought Early Warning System. Aridity is defined, in meteorology and climatology, as the degree to which a climate lacks effective, life-promoting moisture. Drought is a period of abnormally dry weather sufficiently long enough to cause a serious hydrological imbalance.

The differences between the two include:

• Difference in measurement: Aridity is measured by comparing long-term average water supply (precipitation) to long-term average water demand (evapotranspiration). If demand is greater than supply, on average, then the climate is arid. Drought refers to the moisture balance that happens on a month-to-month (or more frequent) basis. If the water supply is less than water demand for a given month, then that month is abnormally dry and if there is a serious hydrological impact, then a drought is occurring that month.
• Difference with respect to time scale: Drought is a recurrent and temporary aberration, unlike aridity, which is a permanent feature of climate.

Multi-dimensional impacts of droughts are the following:

• Water supply: During droughts, communities may have limited access to water for household use, including drinking, cooking, cleaning, etc. Further, it affects transportation and power generation.
• Agriculture: Droughts affect livestock and crops thereby having a devastating effect on farming and food production, which contributes to food price instability. In countries already facing food insecurity, cost spikes can lead to social unrest, migration, and famine.
• Energy: Droughts can raise concerns about the reliability of electricity production from plants that require cooling water to maintain safe operations. Hydroelectric power may also become unavailable during droughts. Further, when heat waves coincide with droughts, electricity demands can grow, compounding stress on the grid.
• Public health: Reduced flows in rivers and streams due to droughts can lead to a concentration of pollutants, thereby threatening the quality of water used for drinking and recreation. Also, drought-fuelled wildfires can expose nearby communities to smoke and pollutants, which can exacerbate chronic respiratory illnesses.
• Social impacts: Due to frequent droughts, there can be outmigration of the population from drought-affected areas leading to greater indebtedness, alienation from land and livestock assets, malnutrition, starvation, etc. There needs to be regular monitoring of droughts in states by setting up Drought Monitoring Centres (DMCs), which will be staffed by a multi-disciplinary team of meteorologists, hydrologists, and agriculture scientists. Also, state governments and businesses need to identify their vulnerability to droughts and improve resilience by practicing and promoting water conservation and enhancing water efficiency.