Abstract: Based on the statistical data of drought in China in the last 5 decades (1950 - 2000), the characteristics of occurrence and development of drought were studied. The drought-occurred areas and drought-induced disaster areas had been increasing in the latter 50 years of 20th century. Ratio between drought-induced disaster areas and drought-occurred areas had an increased trend. The drought occurred in China in 2000 was the most serious one since 1949, while the drought-occurred areas and drought-induced disaster areas reached at 40.5 million haand 26.8 million ha respectively. More than 60% of the drought-occurred areas and drought-induced disaster areas occurred in the Huang-Huai-Hai Region and the Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River, which were the two most drought-induced disaster regions in China. According to the research results on drought prediction, the possibilities of drought occurrence in the future were analyzed and some precautions against drought were recommended.

Key words: China, China, Drought, Drought development, Prediction on disaster tendency, Precaution against drought