Overview of drought characteristics in Southwest China

Abstract Drought is a chronic natural disaster that occurs frequently around the world. Its impact is often greater, wider and longer than other disasters. The spatial uncertainty and frequency of drought in Southwest China has increased in recent years. The drought situation is becoming more and more serious, which is harmful to agricultural production, livelihood and economy. This paper introduces a variety of meteorological drought index: PA, SPI, PDSI, SPEI. The drought characteristics of Southwest China are summarized by combining the methods of many researchers using different indicators and methods to study the drought characteristics of Southwest China. It is concluded that the center of gravity of drought in Southwest China is in most of Sichuan Province and southern Yunnan Province; the frequency of drought is high in the west and low in the east. On the seasonal scale, the frequency of spring drought is higher; the drought intensity in the central region is the most obvious, followed by the eastern region. It provides a theoretical basis for drought resistance work in Southwest China.