Abstract
Understanding ongoing trends at local level is fundamental in research on climate change. However, in the Global South it is hampered by a lack of data. The scarcity of land-based observed data can be overcome through satellite-derived datasets, although performance varies according to the region. The purpose of this study is to compute the normal monthly values of precipitation for the eight main inhabited areas of North Horr Sub-County, in northern Kenya. The official decadal precipitation dataset from the Kenyan Meteorological Department (KMD), the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) monthly dataset and the Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) monthly dataset are compared with the historical observed data by means of the most common statistical indices. The GPCC showed the best fit for the study area. The Quantile Mapping correction is applied to combine the high resolution of the KMD dataset with the high performance of the GPCC set. A new and more reliable bias-corrected monthly precipitation time series for 1983–2014 results for each location. This dataset allows a detailed description of the precipitation distribution through the year, which can be applied in the climate change adaptation and tailored territorial planning.
Highlights
Over the past decades, research on climate change has become of primary concern for different disciplines at a global level
For reasons of homogeneity and consistency, the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) dataset was chosen as the reference dataset for Lodwar station since its statistical values are close to the values obtained for the Kenyan Meteorological Department (KMD) dataset
The aim of this study was to obtain the normal values of the monthly amount of precipitation for the main inhabited areas in North Horr Sub-County, in order to provide a benchmark for understanding the ongoing changes in the local climate
Summary
Research on climate change has become of primary concern for different disciplines at a global level. The understanding of the climate at a local level is key to interpreting undergoing changes. Land-based meteorological stations in African countries are still around half the optimal number required, unevenly distributed and poorly equipped [1,2,3]. In Kenya, there are thirty-two land-based meteorological stations, distributed mainly in the south and on the coast, which are the most developed and geared towards tourism [4]. To improve the livelihoods of communities, enhance and protect property [5], the Kenyan government is promoting the country’s research and development in climate information
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