This MPZ includes South Asian and Southeast Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. This monitoring period covers the harvesting period of dry season crops (wheat, dry season rice) in India and Bangladesh, along with the sowing period and the growing period of rainy season crops (rainy season rice, maize, and soybean) in the entire MPZ.

According to the agroclimatic indicators, the accumulated precipitation was moderately above the 15YA (ΔRAIN +11%). The temperature was slightly above the 15YA, and the RADPAR was slightly below the 15YA (ΔTEMP +1.0℃, ΔRADPAR -1%). Normal solar radiation and heat conditions kept the potential biomass production close to the 15YA. Compared with the 5YA, the CALF decreased by 1% to 80%. The VCIx was 0.79, indicating below-average crop growth conditions. The CPI in the MPZ was 0.88, below the 5YA. Due to the ongoing high temperatures and rainfall deficit in southeast Asia, the production of summer crops is expected to decrease.

According to the spatial distribution of rainfall profiles, the precipitation for 2% of the MPZ (southern India, and western Sri Lanka) was significantly above the 15YA from mid-May to early June, leading to flooding disasters. There was relatively little crop cultivation in the region, so the affected crop was small. Throughout the monitoring period, the precipitation in 74.2% of the MPZ (northeastern and southern India and Southeast Asia) was close to the 15YA. The precipitation in 11.3% of the MPZ (northern India) was above the 15YA in late June, peaking in early July and approaching the average in mid-July. The precipitation in 12.6% of the MPZ (mainly in central India) was close to the 15YA and above the average after mid-June.

Throughout the entire monitoring period, the spatial distribution of temperature profiles shows that the average temperature in 2.7% of the MPZ (northern India, and Nepal) was significantly above the 15YA. Moreover, the average temperature in 33.6% of the MPZ (Southeast Asia) was significantly above the 15YA in April, and then slightly above the average after early May. The average temperature in 37.8% of the MPZ (northern India) fluctuated around the average. The average temperature in 25.9% of the MPZ (mainly in southern India) was slightly above the average from early April to early May, and then slightly below the average after mid-May.

The BIOMASS departure map displays that the potential biomass in the southeastern and northwestern parts of India was 20% greater than the 15YA for the same period, whereas the potential biomass in Cambodia and southern Vietnam was below the average due to insufficient rainfall. The Maximum VCI shows that the index was below 0.5 mainly in the western parts of India and some scattered regions, which was related to cropland being left fallow or late planting of rice (uncropped areas in Fig. 2.4e). The VHI Minimum map shows that most of the MPZ was temporarily impacted by drought, except for western India and some scattered regions. The CALF map indicates that a significant portion of the region was planted, except for central and western India and northern Myanmar.

In general, the crop conditions in southeast Asia, as mentioned in the previous bulletin, are still affected by high temperatures and a rainfall deficit, and are expected to be below average.

Figure 2.4 South and Southeast Asia MPZ: Agroclimatic and agronomic indicators, April 2024 to July 2024

a.Spatial distribution of rainfall profiles  b.Profiles of rainfall departure from average (mm)

c.Spatial distribution of temperature profiles  d.Profiles of temperature departure from average (℃)

e.Cropped and uncropped arable land

f.Potential biomass departure from 5YA

g.Maximum VCI

h.VHI Minimum

i.CPI

Table 2.1 Agroclimatic indicators by Major Production Zone, current value and departure from 15YA(2024-3)

Table 2.2 Agronomic indicators by Major Production Zone, current season values and departure from 5YA(2024-3)