Research progress on assessment indicators, spatio-temporal characteristics and causes of drought in the Yangtze River Basin

Based on the research results on drought in the Yangtze River Basin, the current research status of drought assessment indicators in the Yangtze River Basin was reviewed from perspectives of meteorological drought, hydrological drought, and agricultural drought, and the spatio-temporal characteristics and causes of drought in the Yangtze River Basin were described. It was pointed out that the current research still faced serious challenges in the accurate identification of regional drought and the interaction of multiple factors. The main directions of drought research in the Yangtze River Basin in the future are put forward, including to improve the comprehensive utilization level of multi-source data and enhance the timeliness and accuracy of drought monitoring, to improve the system of drought monitoring and forecasting and enhance the scientificity and reliability of drought prediction, and to deepen the research on the response of human activities to drought and reveal the interaction mechanism between human activities and natural factors in drought events.