Abstract: Considering the characteristics of rice production and climate conditions in Southwest China, an agricultural drought monitoring model based on wetness index anomaly rate
 (M_p) by calculating the variation of deviation from average values of relative humid index was established, and was used to analyze the spatialtemporal distribution characteristics of the rice drought during the growth season in Southwest China in the past 50 years (1961-2010). The applicability of the M_p model in Southwest China was verified by using this model to monitor the rice drought. The result showed there was a decreasing trend in the frequency of rice drought in term of the decadal variability. The areas with high drought risk mainly concentrated in northwestern and mideastern Yunnan Province, eastern Sichuan Basin, northeastern Chongqing City, and southeastern Guizhou Province. The drought frequency was highest at the stage from transplanting to tasseling, followed by the stage from grain filling to maturity, and was lowest at the stage from tasseling to grain filling. M_p was suitable for monitoring the rice drought in Southwest China, and could be used as a reference for the rice planting areas without irrigation data.