Droughts are among the most economically and ecologically destructive natural hazards, affecting more than half of the world's land surface annually and increasing in frequency and severity under anthropogenic climate change. Unlike episodic disasters such as earthquakes or hurricanes, droughts develop gradually and their full impacts may not be evident until months or years after peak conditions. This systematic review synthesises current knowledge of drought monitoring and prediction methods, encompassing approximately 27 drought indices—spanning meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, and remote sensing categories—and six major classes of prediction model: regression, time series,... More >