What does prolonged lack of rain, making land too dry to support plant growth, refer to?

The term that refers to a prolonged lack of rain resulting in land becoming too dry to support plant growth is indeed drought. Droughts can have significant impacts on agriculture and ecosystems, leading to reduced crop yields, soil degradation, and water supply shortages.

In this context, drought specifically denotes a natural phenomenon characterized by a significant decrease in precipitation over an extended period, which limits water availability for plants and can lead to catastrophic effects on food production, wildlife, and local economies.

While desertification relates to the process where fertile land transforms into desert due to various factors, including prolonged drought, it does not specifically denote the lack of rainfall itself but rather a long-term degradation of land quality. Flooding represents excess water, contrasting with the drought phenomenon, and aridity refers to the general state of being dry without necessarily implying the temporary nature of drought. Understanding these distinctions clarifies why drought is the most accurate term for a situation where lack of rain prevents plant growth.