Drought Monitoring in the Agrotechnological Districts of the Semear Digital Center

Drought affects the agricultural sector, posing challenges for farm management, particularly among medium- and small-scale producers. This study uses climate data from remote sensing products to evaluate drought trends in the Semear Digital Center’s Agrotechnological Districts (DATs), which are characterized by a high concentration of small- and medium-sized farms in Brazil. Precipitation data from Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station (CHIRPS) and land surface temperature data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) were applied to calculate the Standardized Precipitation–Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) for a 6-month timescale from 2000 to 2024, with analysis divided into 2000–2012 and 2013–2024. Some limitations were noted: MODIS systematically underestimated temperatures, while CHIRPS tended to underestimate precipitation for most of the DATs. Despite discrepancies, these datasets remain valuable for drought monitoring in areas where long-term ground weather station data are lacking for SPEI assessments. Agricultural drought frequency and severity increased in the 2013–2024 period. Exceptional, extreme, severe, and moderate drought events rose by 7.3, 5.4, 2.2 and 1.0 times, respectively. These trends highlight the importance of adopting smart farming technologies to enhance the resilience of the DATs to climate change.