Analyisis of Drought in Amuma District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Mountain Province Using Google Earth Engine

According to media report and source from Head of District beginning from August 2023 to October 2023, Amuma District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Mountain Province experienced a severe drought, resulting in food shortages due to crop failure, which led to the loss of 23 lives from famine. However, a detailed assessment using remote sensing data has not yet been conducted to evaluate the situation during this period. This research aims to provide comprehensive data and analysis of the drought using remote sensing datasets processed with Google Earth Engine. The analysis incorporates several variables related to drought, including precipitation from the CHIRPS dataset and evapotranspiration from the MODIS MOD16A2 dataset. These variables are then used to calculate water balance data. The water balance analysis reveals a strong indication that the drought event began in June and persisted until November 2023. Furthermore, variables such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from the MODIS MOD13Al dataset and the Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) calculated from the MOD09Al dataset serve as indicators of vegetation health and precursor conditions for crop status. The NDVI shows the lowest index value in July 2023, and the NDMI indicates the lowest index in August 2023. All these variables confirm the drought condition.