A 500m-Resolution Dataset of Agricultural Drought Areas in the North China Plain During 2006–2019

Agricultural drought stands as a dominant natural hazard in the North China Plain, showing increasing frequency and severity over recent decades. However, limitations posed by the coarser spatiotemporal resolution of accessible agricultural drought data archives impede the practical application of regional-scale agricultural drought simulation and monitoring studies. Hence, we generated a 500 m-resolution agricultural drought areas dataset of summer-harvest crops and autumn-harvest crops spanning across the North China Plain (NCP) from 2006 to 2019, encompassing three degrees of agricultural drought area: drought-covered area, drought-damaged area, and crop failure area. The generated dataset holds the potential for effective application in generating synthetic regional drought information, support impact-based agricultural drought monitoring and prediction, and subsequently could greatly assist in optimizing agricultural water management and ensuring global food security.