Assessing spatiotemporal variability of drought in Tihama plain, Yemen, using the standardized precipitation index (SPI) with GIS

Abstract

Drought remains the most frequent and serious environmental threat in the Middle East region. In Yemen, drought has negatively affected both livelihood and sustainable development. This study aims to assess spatiotemporal variability of drought severity in the Tihama Plain—one of Yemen's most important agricultural areas, which contributes about 42 % of the country's total agricultural production. In recent years, the Tihama Plain has seen changes in the rainy season that have had a negative impact on agriculture production and water security in the area. This study uses the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) to conduct a temporal evaluation of the drought situation, as well as using geographic information systems (GIS) to show the spatial distribution of drought in the study area. The SPI-6 analysis results show that the years 1984, 1991, 2002–6, and 2008 were the most affected by drought during the 30-year study period (1980–2010), and show that 1991 was the worst drought year experienced by the stu...