This series of datasets has been created by AAFC’s National
Agroclimate Information Service (NAIS) of the Agro-Climate,
Geomatics and Earth Observations (ACGEO) Division of the
Science and Technology Branch. The CDM is a composite product developed from a wide
assortment of information such as the Normalized Difference
Vegetation Index (NDVI), streamflow values, Palmer Drought
Index, and drought indicators used by the agriculture, forest
and water management sectors. Drought prone regions are
analyzed based on precipitation, temperature, drought model
index maps, and climate data and are interpreted by federal,
provincial and academic scientists. Once a consensus is reached, a monthly map showing drought
designations for Canada is digitized. AAFC’s National Agroclimate Information Service (NAIS)
updates this dataset on a monthly basis, usually by the 10th of
every month to correspond to the end of the previous month,
and subsequent Canadian input into the larger North American
Drought Monitor (NA-DM). The drought areas are classified as follows: D0 (Abnormally Dry) – represents an event that occurs once
every 3-5 years; D1 (Moderate Drought) – represents an event that occurs every
5-10 years; D2 (Severe Drought) – represents an event that occurs every
10-20 years; D3 (Extreme Drought) – represents an event that occurs every
20-25 years; and D4 (Exceptional Drought) – represents an event that occurs
every 50 years. Impact lines highlight areas that have been physically impacted
by drought.
Impact labels specify the longitude and magnitude of impacts.
The impact labels are classified as follows:S – Short-Term, typically less than 6 months (e.g. agriculture,
grasslands). L – Long-Term, typically more than 6 months (e.g. hydrology,
ecology).For more information, visit: https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/292646cd-619f-4200-afb1-8b2c52f984a2
