Assessment of the Impact of Agricultural Drought in North Kordofan, Sudan

This paper had been presented for promotion at the University of Khartoum. To get the full text please contact the other at eltum333@yahoo.comThis study focuses on agricultural drought in western Sudan by exploring the relationship between rainfall and crop production during 1982-1995. Weather data (rainfall) and satellite images Normalized Difference Vegetation Index data were used to assess agricultural drought periods. Results showed that drought during eighties of the last century resulted in severe shortage in food production, degradation of vegetation and loss of livestock, population displacement and migration. The direct impacts were food insecurity, increasing poverty, disease, and shortage of drinking water, as well as social and economic instability. The severe drop in production was observed in 1984 - one of the worst droughts in Sudan during the 20th century – caused (5.800.000) persons displaced, thousands of animals died and approximately (50.695) km2 (12.650.410 fedans) of land were degraded, while surface water sources were depleted gave the signs of the hydrological drought too