Ecological drought
Topic: Natural Hazards and Disaster Management in India · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 6 "Natural Hazards and Disasters: Causes, Consequences and Management"
Meaning
Ecological drought happens when a lack of water makes a natural ecosystem stop being productive. The ecosystem may be a forest, grassland or wetland. Plants dry up or die, animals lose food and water, and the ecosystem suffers distress. This type of drought is about damage to nature, not to farms or water supply. It matters because healthy ecosystems give people fodder, fuel, water and wildlife.
Example
When the monsoon fails over the Marusthali in western Rajasthan, its desert grasslands dry out. Wild animals and grazing herds then find little to eat or drink.
Don't confuse with
- Agricultural drought: crops fail because the soil is too dry. Ecological drought harms natural ecosystems, not farm crops.
- Hydrological drought: water in aquifers, lakes and reservoirs falls too low. That shortage can lead to ecological drought, but it is not the same thing.
Related concepts
- Drought
- Meteorological drought
- Agricultural drought
- Hydrological drought
- Drought-prone areas of India
- Akal, trinkal, jalkal and trikal
- Drought mitigation