This study uses the Standard Precipitation Index（ SPI） to compare the responses of eight MODIS-based spectral indices to typical drought events

including NDVI

NDWI

VARI

EVI

NDIIB6

NDIIB7

D1640

and SR

from 2000 to 2012 in southwest China

Containing the provinces of Sichuan

Chongqing

Yunnan

and Guizhou. The results show that:（ 1） The SPI index derived from precipitation data could reflect the drought conditions around the station

and the three-month and six-month SPIs（ SPI3/6） perform better than the other time-scale SPIs;（ 2） Anomalies of all eight MODIS-based spectral indices

except for D1640

show significant correlation with SPI3 at a confidence level of 95% and can thus be used to reveal the drought conditions in southwest China to some degree

whereas anomalies of NDIIB7

VARI

EVI

and NDIIB6 have higher r values with SPI3（ r > 0.3） than others;（ 3） The anomalies of NDIIB7 have the highest r value with SPI3 and are used to analyze the spatiotemporal development and r ecovery of the long-term extreme drought event that occurred in Yungui Plateau during 2009 to 2010.