Drought is a growing threat to many people and economies in both developing and developed countries,
with characteristics differing considerably across the world. Droughts are considered to be the most farreaching of all natural disasters, causing short and long-term social, economic, and ecological losses and
having significant secondary and tertiary impacts. A drought does not trigger an emergency by itself;
whether it becomes an emergency depends on its impact on local people, and that, in turn, depends
upon people’s vulnerability to such a ‘shock’.
People’s vulnerability and capacity in the context of drought hazards are very important in understanding
the potential drought impact and making choices about management and development interventions.
Vulnerability results from people’s exposure to hazards and their susceptibility to hazard impacts. It reflects
social, economic, political, psychological and environmental variables, shaped by dynamic pressures
(such as urbanization or land use planning) that are linked to the national and political economy. The
converse of vulnerability is capacity to anticipate, cope with, resist, and recover from hazard impacts. These
capacities may be realized through collective action within a favourable institutional framework
The approach of this manual emphasizes an improved understanding of both the natural hazard and
the human exposure to this climatic event. The different elements of drought risk management and how
they contribute to better understanding and management of drought risk are explained.