Quantifying agricultural land cover responses to drought across different socioeconomic contexts

How farmers adapt and respond to drought events can have significant consequences for food security, water supply, environmental health, and long-term land use. However, the drought response options available to farmers vary significantly depending on location, agricultural systems, and socioeconomic factors. This study evaluates the impact of drought events from 2001 to 2015 on agricultural land cover across different socioeconomic contexts. Using data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), we quantify annual changes in land use, vegetation health, and the normalized difference vegetation index following moderate to severe drought events, and analyze the spatiotemporal scales at which land cover responses are visible. We then analyze the role of geographic and socioeconomic factors in amplifying or mitigating land cover responses by comparing post-drought vegetation and land use patterns in areas with different incomes and agricultural systems. By classifying these specific drought response types, we aim to better understand how farmers adapt to drought, and identify potential impacts of their adaptations.