Drought is a prolonged dry period when the amount of available water isn’t enough to meet normal use.
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What is drought?
Drought is a prolonged dry period when the amount of available water isn't enough to meet normal use. Over time, Victoria has experienced an increase in the frequency of unusually hot days.
With decreasing rainfall over an extended period, this could all contribute to drought. Combined dry and hot periods cause soil to dry out faster, decrease runoff after rain events, and reduce stream flow further.
Drought can affect rural and metropolitan areas in different ways. It is important that the potential for drought be considered in all areas of water planning across the state. This can include everything from agriculture to how cities are designed.
Learning from the past
From 1996 to 2010, south-eastern Australia suffered through the Millennium Drought. During this time, Victoria received mostly below-average annual rainfall. Water restrictions affected everybody at this time, not just in places where the effects of drought were more visible.
By 2017, one third of Victoria’s 161 catchments had still not recovered, despite rainfall returning to pre-drought levels. About 30% less stream flow has been observed, and the underground water table has not recharged. A greater amount of rainfall may be lost to evaporation and transpiration (water used by plants) during and after the drought as well.
State-wide preparedness for such climate hazards is vital. This is why Victoria has a range of drought assistance programs. These include those to prepare as well as manage drought, including, for example, a network of about 300 emergency water supply points to support rural water users in these tough times.
A variety of other projects exist to increase community capacity and wellbeing by providing training to mitigate hazards and prepare for future drought.
Case study
Local community responses to drought are important in regional Victoria. This ensures economies continue to thrive. In 2019, the Mallee Catchment Management Authority (CMA) initiated the Drought Employment Program.
This secured a source of income and developed skills for farmers and communities. Employees of the program worked together to revegetate the region and reopen roads covered by eroded soil so that farmers could access their land.
Jolyon Taylor is a Senior Water Resources Engineer at Gippsland Water. In this video, he discusses why it is important to manage and prepare for droughts, and how his love for the natural environment led to a 20-year career in the Gippsland region.
A reservoir height gauge in Victoria's western region sits above a dry lake-bed of dry, red earth. This gauge shows how high water can get and how little water was to be found there around 2016.Image credit: DEECA and Craig Moodie
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The effects of the Millennium Drought in 2016 struck farms including this one as a cow feeds on hay surrounded by dry landscape.Image credit: DEECA and Alison Pouliot
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Drought-stricken farmland in Central and East Gippsland from 2018 to 2020.Image credit: Agriculture Victoria
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In 2016, Lake Buffalo in Victoria's north-east sat dry and empty because of the Millennium Drought. Trees emerging out of the river bed show where the water line once sat.Image credit: DEECA and Alison Pouliot
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Dry earth on land in Gippsland.Image credit: DEECA and Craig Moodie
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Farmland across Victoria can experience drought.Image credit: DEECA
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DEECA and Alison PouliotImage credit: Drought stricken farmland in the Broken Catchment district of Victoria during the Millennium Drought in 2016.
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DEECA and Alison PouliotImage credit: Drought stricken farmland in the Goulburn Catchment district of Victoria during the Millennium Drought in 2016.
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Drought can cause the quality of waterways to deteriorate.Image credit: DEECA and James Lauritz
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An infographic detailing how Victoria's climate has already changed.Image credit: DEECA
A reservoir height gauge in Victoria's western region sits above a dry lake-bed of dry, red earth. This gauge shows how high water can get and how little water was to be found there around 2016.
Image credit: DEECA and Craig Moodie
The effects of the Millennium Drought in 2016 struck farms including this one as a cow feeds on hay surrounded by dry landscape.
Image credit: DEECA and Alison Pouliot
Drought-stricken farmland in Central and East Gippsland from 2018 to 2020.
Image credit: Agriculture Victoria
In 2016, Lake Buffalo in Victoria's north-east sat dry and empty because of the Millennium Drought. Trees emerging out of the river bed show where the water line once sat.
Image credit: DEECA and Alison Pouliot
Dry earth on land in Gippsland.
Image credit: DEECA and Craig Moodie
Farmland across Victoria can experience drought.
Image credit: DEECA
DEECA and Alison Pouliot
Image credit: Drought stricken farmland in the Broken Catchment district of Victoria during the Millennium Drought in 2016.
DEECA and Alison Pouliot
Image credit: Drought stricken farmland in the Goulburn Catchment district of Victoria during the Millennium Drought in 2016.
Drought can cause the quality of waterways to deteriorate.
Image credit: DEECA and James Lauritz
An infographic detailing how Victoria's climate has already changed.
Image credit: DEECA
Further resources
Below you can find a variety of resources to further research and understand drought in Victoria and Australia.
