In the first half of May, the classification went from ‘severe’ to ‘moderate’.
Currently, drought in Jocotepec is classified as moderate. Photo: Héctor Ruiz.
Héctor Ruiz Mejía(Jocotepec).- The drought index decreases from «severe» to «moderate» in the municipality of Jocotepec.
In spite of the high temperatures reaching up to 34 degrees Celsius registered in the last few days, the data shared by the Monitor of Drought in México indicated that for the first two weeks of May, the humidity in the environment caused the municipality to go from severe drought (D2) to moderate drought (D1).
As stated by Carolina Alejandre Ruvalcaba, head of the Water Culture program of the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) Jalisco, this represents that, together with the humidity in the environment, favorable conditions due to the level of Lake Chapala in contrast to past years, have helped avoid drought.
Alejandre explained that drought is classified into two categories: meteorological, i.e., corresponding to water precipitation in the atmosphere; and hydrological, which is the deficit of flow or storage in natural watercourses and bodies of water (surface water).
«These factors have to be taken into account, because sometimes people relate drought to desert or vegetation so there is no drought but it is not so, there are several causes that determine that a territory is in drought, as well as its categories».
However, the official added that the classification is never a static scale because just as the levels decrease from one two-week period to the next, which is the period of time captured by the Drought Monitor, they can also increase.
Regarding the intensity of the current drought stage (D1) in Jocotepec, the second on a scale of five, some damage to crops and pastures, a high risk of fires, low levels in rivers, streams and wells are expected, so voluntary restriction in the use of water is recommended.
Finally, Alejandre Ruvalcaba said that stages D1 and D2 during this period of the year are normal since it is still considered the dry season, until May 15, when the rainy season begins.
According to the North American Drought Monitor (NADM), drought is classified in a five-scale chart, which goes from the minimum as D0 Abnormally Dry, D1 Moderate Drought, D2 Severe Drought, passing through D3 Extreme Drought, and ending with D4 Exceptional Drought.
Translated by Sydney Metrick
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