Of all natural hazards, drought affects the greatest number of people globally, with devastating impact. The vulnerability of communities to drought is dependent on a host of physical, social, environmental and  economic characteristics. In recent years, owing to population growth, soil degradation, increased desertification, and projected climate change scenarios, drought research and planning has become crucial to averting and mitigating drought disasters. Drought vulnerability research examines how the impacts of drought are a result of the interactions of social, political and economic systems, as well as the meteorological drought phenomenon.