The Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) is an indicator of the current activity of the vegetation relative to the historical range (minimum and maximum NDVI values) calculated for the corresponding time from archive data (2000 to present). The VCI thus normalizes the NDVI according to its variability measured over many years and results in a consistent index for various land cover types. This means that different land cover types can be compared in terms of how the current condition compares to the minimum-maximum range recorded over many years for that same area. The VCI is considered a better indicator of water stress than the NDVI on its own.