Preface

Drought is generally defined as a prolonged period of dry weather caused by a lack of precipitation that results in severe water shortages for some activities, populations, or ecological systems. The deterioration of the balance between precipitation and evaporation and the long duration of this situation can also be considered a drought. Drought types, such as meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, and socioeconomic droughts, adversely affect many environmental components, including soil processes, vegetation growth, wildlife, water quality, and aquatic ecosystems. While drought has unfavorable impacts on both surface and groundwater resources, hydrological regimes can also be affected by it, changing the chemistry of surface waters and the runoff pathway, which can negatively influence water quality.

While drought appears as one of the main consequences of changes in ecosystem and climate, the consumption of water used for domestic, industrial, and agricultural purposes has increased by 15% in the last two decades. Today, one out of every three people is faced with drought and water shortage risk, thus water scarcity and water stress. This book presents studies on the various forms and severity of the drought that can occur in almost every region of the world as well as their causes and impacts. It analyzes in detail the complex drought phenomenon, which has a significant impact on water resources, agriculture, energy production, human health, and forest fires.

This edited collection consists of four sections and ten chapters. The first section discusses the general concept of hydrological drought. The second section examines the effects of climate change on drought and life. The third section evaluates plant behaviors under drought conditions. The fourth and final section investigates the effects of climate change on drought and therefore on life.

> **Murat Eyvaz** Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Engineering, Gebze Technical University, Kocaeli, Turkey

**Ahmed Albahnasawi, Mesut Tekbaş and Ercan Gürbulak**

Gebze Technical University, Kocaeli, Turkey

Section 1

Hydrological Drought

**1**
