This dataset provides indicators on droughts in large (TL2) and small (TL3) regions.
Data definition and source
Drought intensity is estimated in terms of soil moisture anomaly compared to the reference period 1981-2010. Soil moisture refers to the volume of water in the top soil layer (0 to 7 cm). This dataset provides annual soil moisture estimates in percentage points, along with changes in soil moisture. The data is based on ERA5-Land reanalysis dataset.
ERA5-Land is used as it provides harmonised, globally consistent coverage at fine spatial resolution (0.1 degree), enabling the production of comparable subnational indicators also where national meteorological data are not available at the required scale.
These estimates may differ from official subnational climate statistics due to differences in methodological approaches, such as the use of reanalysis based top down modelling versus in situ observations, along with variations in input data sources, spatial resolution, and the models and algorithms used to generate temperature estimates.
Definition of regions
Regions are subnational units below national boundaries. OECD countries have two regional levels: large regions (territorial level 2 or TL2) and small regions (territorial level 3 or TL3). For more information, see the OECD Territorial grid (pdf) and the OECD Territorial Correspondence Table (xlsx).
Cite this dataset
OECD Regions, Cities and Local Areas database http://oe.cd/geostats.
Further information
For questions and/or comments, please email [email protected].