Global Drought Exposure Estimates 1980-2001

1980-2001 annual estimates of physical exposure to drought, measured as the expected average annual population exposed. The dataset was modeled by UNEP/GRID-Europe for the Global Assessment Report on Risk Reduction, integrating precipitation, Standardized Precipitation Index, and 2010 population data.

Use Cases

• Analyze temporal trends in drought exposure from 1980 to 2001 using annual exposure estimates.
• Model population vulnerability by correlating Standardized Precipitation Index values with exposed inhabitant counts.
• Assess regional risk by mapping gridded exposure data against the 2010 LandScan population baseline.
• Validate drought impact models using the UNEP/GRID-Europe methodology based on CRU precipitation data.

Strengths

• 22-year temporal coverage from 1980 to 2001.
• Integrates three established data sources: CRU precipitation, SPI modeling, and LandScan population data.
• Designed for a major UN assessment report (Global Assessment Report on Risk Reduction).

Limitations

• Population exposure is anchored to a single year (2010), not dynamically changing with the 1980-2001 climate data.
• Underlying precipitation data is monthly and gridded, which may obscure local, sub-monthly drought events.
• Model outputs are estimates; ground truth validation data is not specified.

Provenance

Source

UNEP/GRID-Europe, using Climatic Research Unit (CRU) precipitation, IRI SPI methodology, and LandScan population data.

Collection Method

GIS modeling integrating global monthly gridded precipitation, Standardized Precipitation Index calculation, and a static population grid.

Time Range

1980-2001

Freshness

Data covers up to 2001 and was last updated in 2001, representing a historical snapshot.

Geography

Global