Drought is an environmental hazard with widespread environmental andsocietal consequences, yet there is much uncertainty as to whether these events are increasing in frequency or severity in response to climate change. Part of this uncertainty is associated with the methods employed by past studies, namely the use of flawed drought indices, coupled with incomplete analyses of the drivers of observed trends. This research will meet this need by using a new and more robust drought index (the Standardised Precipitation Evaporation Index) and using powerful new statistical approaches to characterise the relationship from climate variation and change to drought occurrence.