Review of In-Situ and Remote Sensing-Based Indices and Their Applicability for Integrated Drought Monitoring in South Africa

The devastating socioeconomic impacts of recent droughts have intensified the need for improved drought monitoring in South Africa (SA). This study has shown that not all indices can be universally applicable at regions worldwide, and there is no single index represent aspects droughts. aim this was to review performance applicability Palmer severity (PDSI), surface water supply (SWSI), vegetation condition (VCI), standardised precipitation (SPI), evapotranspiration (SPEI), streamflow (SSI), groundwater (SGI), GRACE (Gravity Recovery Climate Experiment)-based SA provide guidelines selecting feasible candidates integrated monitoring. based on ‘2016 World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Handbook Drought Indicators Indices’ guidelines. PDSI SWSI are SA, mainly because they relatively complex compute interpret cannot use readily available accessible data. Combining SPI, SPEI, VCI, SSI, SGI using multi-index or hybrid methods recommended. Hence, with best fitting probability distribution functions (PDFs) used, an informed choice between parametric non-parametric approaches, combination potential Due scarcity data, investigations GRACE-based must carried out. These findings may contribute early warning SA.