Incorporating aSPI and eRDI in Drought Indices Calculator (DrinC) Software for Agricultural Drought Characterisation and Monitoring

The agricultural sector is vulnerable to extreme phenomena such as droughts, particularly in arid and semi-arid environments and in regions where water infrastructure is limited. Devising preparedness plans, including means for efficient monitoring and timely identification of drought events, is essential for informed decision making on drought mitigation and water management, especially for the water-dependant agricultural sector. This paper presents the incorporation of two new drought indices, designed for agricultural drought identification, in Drought Indices Calculator (DrinC) software. These indices, namely the Agricultural Standardized Precipitation Index (aSPI) and the Effective Reconnaissance Drought Index (eRDI), require commonly available meteorological data, while they employ the concept of effective precipitation, taking into account the amount of water that contributes productively to plant development. The design principles of DrinC software leading to the proper use of the indices for agricultural drought assessment, including the selection of appropriate reference periods, calculation time steps and other related issues, are presented and discussed. The incorporation of aSPI and eRDI in DrinC enhances the applicability of the software towards timely agricultural drought characterisation and analysis, through a straightforward and comprehensible approach, particularly useful for operational purposes.