Drought -- National Drought Mitigation Center

 

Title

Spring Crops in Bulgaria Damaged by 1996 Summer Drought

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

February 1998

Comments

Published in Drought Network News Vol. 10, No. 1, Oct. 1997–Feb. 1998. Published by the International Drought Information Center and the National Drought Mitigation Center, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

Studies suggest there is a decreasing trend in precipitation in both north and south Bulgaria because of precipitation deficiencies in the 1940s and since the 1970s. Bulgaria has experienced several summer drought episodes during the last century, most notably in the 1940s and 1980s. There has been a decreasing trend in precipitation during the potential crop-growing season since the end of the 1970s, and the number of 10-day dry spells during this season has increased since the beginning of the 1970s. In the course of the last 3 decades, there was a decreasing trend in precipitation during the non-growing season below a base of 5°–10°C. There was also a tendency toward more precipitation deficit periods during the actual growing season of spring crops (from sowing to full maturity).

A large deficiency in precipitation was observed during the summer of 1992. The 1992 drought persisted through 1993. In fact, from 1984 to 1993, the country experienced more than 5 years of drought conditions of various intensities, depending on location. There is no doubt that climate in Bulgaria has become drier in recent years.