Scale Issues in Drought Monitoring

Drought has spatial and temporal dimensions and can be defined at a variety of scales. The complex nature of the phenomenon requires the consideration of very different data for monitoring and impact assessment. Albeit their differing spatial and temporal properties, these data need to be integrated in adequate models. One of the challenges for drought monitoring, therefore, is related to the determination of appropriate scales of analysis, since scale considerations are integrally linked to the definition and objectives of drought monitoring. This paper discusses different aspects of scale with relevance to drought monitoring and indicates the potential of GIS and remote sensing for data integration.