BHUBANESWAR: Climate change has pushed drought hotspots of Odisha in the west and northward direction with some periods experiencing shorter but sharper impact, a new study has found.
In the early 20th century, the hotspots were concentrated in the eastern and southern districts of the state. The global study by 12 institutes and organisations, including six universities from India, UK, Japan, Brazil, UAE and Saudi Arabia and meteorological departments indicated that the westward shift in drought hotspots - from coastal and central Odisha in the early 20th century to northern and western regions in recent decades have been influenced by a combination of shifting monsoon patterns, climate variability and localised land-use changes.
The study analysed 120 years of rainfall data to suggest that Odisha has experienced major droughts approximately every eight years since 1866 with recurring impacts noted almost annually in several regions. During the 1970s and 1980s, central and northern districts including Angul, Boudh, Deogarh, Keonjhar, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Bargarh, and Mayurbhanj saw a noticeable increase in severe drought events.
“In later decades, particularly the 1990s and 2000s, southern districts such as Nabarangpur, Koraput, Kalahandi, and Nuapada were affected more. This shift appears closely linked to positive phases of the El Niño and negative phases of the southern oscillation index, both of which disrupted monsoon rainfall in the region,” said Prof Shreerup Goswami, head of Geology department, Utkal University.
The 1960s and 2000s stood out as periods with the highest drought intensity and frequency. Sundargarh district emerged as a drought hotspot between 2001 and 2010. Drought severity further intensified in the 2011-2020 decade, expanding across western, northern, and central regions, largely under the influence of successive El Niño events.
The study recommended integrating long-term drought diagnostics with global climate signals to improve early warning systems and tailored policy responses. “Droughts are no longer confined to the few traditional districts. As climate variability continues to intensify, historical patterns are no longer reliable predictors of future risks. We need to rethink our drought resilience strategies and this study provides a scientific foundation to plan better and bigger,” said study author Prof Manoranjan Mishra from FM University.