Severe drought in Uruguay

Uruguay actually suffers from a severe drought. The press release in MercoPress from Feb. 2, 2023 states:?Drought losses estimated at USD 1.200 million, Minister says

Uruguay’s Minister of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fishing, Fernando Mattos, appeared before the Permanent Commission of Parliament at the request of the opposition Frente Amplio (Broad Front) to explain the measures taken by the government in response to the drought that has affected the country since last year.

Mattos stated that the measures implemented by the Executive Branch so far are just the beginning and that more structural measures are needed for water, both for production and human consumption.

The State official estimated the losses due to drought to be around 1.175 million USD, with the agricultural sector being the most affected with losses of 490 million USD, followed by the livestock sector with losses of 440 million USD. The loss in pastureland is estimated to be 145 million USD and the dairy sector is estimated to have a loss of 100 million USD.

source: https://en.mercopress.com/2023/02/02/uruguay-drought-losses-estimated-at-usd-1.200-million-minister-says

Drought estimation: From Sentinel-1 SAR data we derive a humidity index, which indicates the humidity in vegetation. The SWI (SAR Water Index) has a range from 0 – 150 and was calibrated against the optical NDWI (Gao). It shows a high correlation and is very reliable for drought estimation.

The graphic below shows a comparison between an optical NDWI and Sentinel-1 SWI (SAR Water Index).

The example is from Hungary in the year 2019. It clearly demonstrates, that the map product can reflect the humidity in cropland.

Sentinel-1 is an active satellite that is independent from atmospheric disturbances (clouds, dust etc.). The acquisitions repeat every 12 days.

The data has a ground resolution of 20x20m and is acquired each time with the same energy, the same angle and geometry. The change in the values reflect the changes on the earth's surface or here the vegetation.

The data is ideal for time-series monitoring. The images below show the same extend of an area in Uruguay (Department Florida and Durazno) in two succeeding years. The difference really is significant. Looking at the data it is obvious, that the drought must be severe.

Government organizations can use this data to identify at an early stage whether a drought is imminent and plan accordingly. This is about financial aid, which must be distributed according to the individual needs.

Crop insurance companies must plan for reserves when offering drought insurance. Based on this data, the spatial distribution and intensity can be estimated.

More information you find at https://cropix.ch

Examples of our unique map products you find at: iMap