Remote Sensing Indices for Spatial Monitoring of Agricultural Drought in South Asian Countries

Drought is an intricate atmospheric phenomenon with the greatest impacts on food security and agriculture in South Asia. Timely appropriate forecasting of drought vital reducing its negative impacts. This study intended to explore performance evaporative stress index (ESI), vegetation health (VHI), enhanced (EVI), standardized anomaly (SAI) based satellite remote sensing data from 2002–2019 for agricultural assessment Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh. The spatial maps were generated against each index, which indicated a severe during year 2002, compared other years. results showed that southeast region north, northwest, southwest regions India Afghanistan significantly affected by drought. However, Bangladesh faced substantial northeast northwest (2002). longest period seven months was observed followed Pakistan six months, while, only three perceived correlation between indices climate variables such as soil moisture has remained significant drought-initiating variable. Furthermore, this confirmed (ESI) good indicator, being quick greater sensitivity, thus advantageous VHI, EVI, SAI indices.