The droughts that occurred in Northeast Brazil (NEB) during the 1979–1983 period brought serious consequences to the economy and population of that region. The extreme drought of 1983, which affected 88% of NEB, reduced the regional gross product by 15.8%. It was worse than in 1979 and 1980, when production growth rates were zero and −0.9%, respectively (MINTER, 1973). In 1983, some 12.5 million people received assistance in coping with the drought, but it has been estimated that the total number affected reached 12 million people (Section 1).