Editing Drought (section)

== Definition ==
[[File:Fields outside benambra.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|right|Fields outside [[Benambra, Victoria|Benambra]], Australia suffering from drought in 2006.]]
The [[IPCC Sixth Assessment Report]] defines a drought simply as "drier than normal conditions".<ref name=":2" />{{rp|1157}} This means that a drought is "a moisture deficit relative to the average water availability at a given location and season".<ref name=":2" />{{rp|1157}}

According to [[National Integrated Drought Information System]], a multi-agency partnership, drought is generally defined as "a deficiency of precipitation over an extended period of time (usually a season or more), resulting in a water shortage". The National Weather Service office of the [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]] defines drought as "a deficiency of moisture that results in adverse impacts on people, animals, or vegetation over a sizeable area".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Drought Basics|url=https://www.drought.gov/what-is-drought/drought-basics|access-date=2022-09-16|website=Drought.gov|publisher=NOAA National Integrated Drought Information System}}</ref>

Drought is a complex phenomenon − relating to the absence of water − which is difficult to monitor and define.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Definition of Drought|url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/dyk/drought-definition|access-date=2022-09-16|publisher=National Centers for Environmental Information}}</ref> By the early 1980s, over 150 definitions of "drought" had already been published.<ref name=":32">{{Cite web|title=Types of Drought|url=https://drought.unl.edu/Education/DroughtIn-depth/TypesofDrought.aspx|access-date=2022-09-16|website=drought.unl.edu|publisher=National Drought Mitigation Center}}</ref> The range of definitions reflects differences in regions, needs, and disciplinary approaches.