Yes, this is a protective mechanism. Flowering requires a lot of water. The odd thing is that a very, very stressed rose, one that is about to die, may flower, in a last effort. If the drought is truly severe, this is not necessarily a bad thing. But if your rose does not have enough water to flower, I wonder if it has enough water to survive at all. Ali, where is your garden? I asked because if it is springtime, and if your rose did not receive enough water over the winter to bloom in spring, it is in a very stressed state.

There could be other causes of bud death. In the USA, we have an insect that specializes in drilling holes in buds and their stems. I have seen entire thickets of wild roses with the buds all fallen over to the side, not one flower. It is the rose curculio. You can see a picture in the Glossary. I believe this pest is isolated to our continent.

Severe lack of major nutrients affects flowering. I'm talking about Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorus. But you would notice symptoms of the foliage too. The leaves would have odd yellowing or veining. I grow many roses with little nitrogen, and they all usually manage a bloom in the spring. And of course wild roses all bloom without chemicals. So I tend to discount this as the major cause. I would not add fertilizer in a drought. It can kill a rose that does not have adequate water.

Sorry I could not be more specific. If you have a digital camera, a picture is always a help.