Remote sensing and GIS application for monitoring drought vulnerability in Indonesia: a review

Abstract

Agricultural drought is one of the hydrometeorological disasters that cause significant losses because it affects food stocks. In addition, agricultural droughts, impact the physical and socio-economic development of the community. Remote sensing technology is used to monitor agricultural droughts spatially and temporally for minimizing losses. This study reviewed the literatures related to remote sensing and GIS for monitoring drought vulnerability in Indonesia. The study was conducted on an island-scale on Java Island, a provincial-scale in East Java and Bali, and a district-scale in Indramayu and Kebumen. The dominant method was the drought index, which involves variable land surface temperature (LST), vegetation index, land cover, wetness index, and rainfall. Each study has a strong point and a weak point. Low-resolution satellite imagery has been used to assess drought vulnerability. At the island scale, it provides an overview of drought conditions, while at the provincial scale, it focuses on paddy fields and has little detailed information. In-situ measurements at the district scale detect meteorological drought accurately, but there were limitations in the mapping unit's detailed information. Drought mapping using GIS and remote sensing at the district scale has detailed spatial information on climate and physiographic aspects, but it needs temporal data monitoring.