Assessment of Variability and Attribution of Drought Based on GRACE in China from Three Perspectives: Water Storage Component, Climate Change, Water Balance

Understanding how drought is impacted by both natural and human influences crucial to the sustainable utilization protection of water resources. We established a severity index (DSI) based on terrestrial storage anomaly (TWSA) derived from GRACE satellite detect characteristics trends over ten major river basins in China 2002 2017. The influence factors (terrestrial components, precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff, NDVI, teleconnection (ENSO, PDO, NAO, AO)) factor (LULC) were investigated quantified perspective components Theil–Sen trend Mann–Kendall test method, climate change cross wavelet transforms, balance Random Forest. results indicated that (1) almost all humid arid experienced periods during 2002–2006 2014–2017, respectively. southern IRB central YZRB regions exhibited notable declines DSI trends, while majority HLRB, IRB, LRB, YRB, HRB, SWRB significant increases trends; (2) abnormal groundwater decreases main cause triggered insufficient most basins; (3) ENSO was strongest basins, AO PRB. Most resonance cycles lasted 12–64 months 2005–2014; (4) an anthropogenic driver has become as important as, or more than, (runoff factors) hydrological drought.