JDBC provides a standard interface for connecting to and working with databases in Java applications. There are four main types of JDBC drivers: Type 1 drivers use ODBC to connect to databases but are only compatible with Windows. Type 2 drivers use native database client libraries but require the libraries to be installed. Type 3 drivers use a middleware layer to support multiple database types without native libraries. Type 4 drivers connect directly to databases using a pure Java implementation, providing cross-platform compatibility without additional layers.