Abstract
The Upper Blue Nile basin is less-explored in drought studies as compared to other river basins in Ethiopia and a shortage of particular basin drought monitoring system. The area founds in along a Blue Nile basin faced a recurrent drought conditions in several years ago. The main objectives of this study to investigate droughts along a Blue Nile basin in the east Gojjam zone. To evaluate the drought duration, severity, occurrence and risks it was used different indices . The results shows a hydrological drought was occurring in a frequent condition in partial areas of Shebel Berenta, Goncha siso enese and Enarg enawuga woreda. Based on 12-month time-scale, the total number of drought events were identified in the area, using Reconnaissance drought index (RDI) during the period of analysis (1995–1996) and its values 100% drought and its ranges were highly sever. Considering the drought events in the stream flow drought index (SDI) the values indicates drought severity was existed in the year 1984/1985 and 1989/1990. Inaddation standard precipitation index (SPI) also indicates a severe drought in 1984/1985, 1990/1991 and 1991/1992 and its values was -1.5. Generally the hydrological, metrological and agricultural drought where existed in the year (1984-2012) within the study area. Keywords : RDI, Drought, SDI, SPI, NDVI DOI: 10.7176/CER/12-9-04 Publication date: September 30 th 2020
Highlights
Drought is one of the most complex phenomena that can have a strong impact on agriculture, society, water resources and ecosystems
The event include low flow periods, but a continuous seasonal low-flow event does not necessarily constitute a drought River systems are most stressed in low flow periods and an understanding of drought conditions in time and space is fundamental to a wide range of water management problems (Hering et al, 2015)
The probable explanation could be the difference in the agro ecological zones and the geomorphology, it is concluded that, the increasing rainfall variability and rising temperature attributable to anthropogenic activities may not be the only cause for drought events intensity and frequency over the study area
Summary
Drought is one of the most complex phenomena that can have a strong impact on agriculture, society, water resources and ecosystems. Irrespective of its abundant potential of water resources, is facing drought at an increasing frequency throughout the past many decades. Previous droughts and the frequency of rainfall deviation from the average suggest that drought occur every 3–5 and 6–8 years in northern Ethiopia and every 8–10 years for the whole country (Mohammed et al, 2018). The frequency of drought events in the country used to be once in every 10–15 years. Recent records indicate increased incidences of drought events, with frequency of once in five years or even less. (Desalegn et al, 2006) reports that there is no regular cycle in the recurrence intervals of droughts in the country but an accumulation of a number of relatively dry years is likely to occur every 4–6 years Recent records indicate increased incidences of drought events, with frequency of once in five years or even less. (Desalegn et al, 2006) reports that there is no regular cycle in the recurrence intervals of droughts in the country but an accumulation of a number of relatively dry years is likely to occur every 4–6 years
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