Abstract: Zoning seasonal drought based on the study of drought characteristics can provide theoretical basis for formulating drought mitigation plans and improving disaster reduction technologies in different arid zones under global climate change. Based on the National standard of meteorological drought indices and agricultural drought indices and the 1959-2008 meteorological data from 268 meteorological stations in southern China, this paper analyzed the climatic background and distribution characteristics of seasonal drought in southern China, and made a threelevel division of seasonal drought in this region by the methods of combining comprehensive factors and main factors, stepwise screening indices, comprehensive disaster analysis, and clustering analysis. The firstlevel division was with the annual aridity index and seasonal aridity index as the main indices and with the precipitation during entire year and main crop growing season as the auxiliary indices, dividing the southern China into four primary zones, including semiarid zone, subhumid zone, humid zone, and superhumid zone. On this basis, the four primary zones were subdivided into nine secondlevel zones, including one semiarid area-temperatecold semiarid hilly area in SichuanYunnan Plateau, three subhumid areas of warm subhumid area in the north of the Yangtze River, warmtropical subhumid area in South China, and temperatecold subhumid plateau area in Southwest China, three humid areas of temperatetropical humid area in the Yangtze River Basin, warmtropical humid area in South China, and warm humid hilly area in Southwest China, and two superhumid areas of warmtropical superhumid area in South China and temperatecold superhumid hilly area in the south of the Yangtze River and Southwest China. According to the frequency and intensity of multiple drought indices, the secondlevel zones were further divided into 29 thirdlevel zones. The distribution of each seasonal drought zone was illustrated, and the zonal drought characteristics and their impacts on the agricultural production were assessed. Accordingly, the drought prevention measures were proposed.