Power Data Access Viewer-Based Meteorological Drought Analysis and Rainfall Variability in the Nile River Basin

Abstract

Meteorological drought poses a frequent challenge in the Nile River basin, yet its comprehensive evaluation across the basin has been hindered by insufficient recorded rainfall data. Common indices like the standard precipitation index, coefficients of variation, and precipitation concentration index serve as pivotal tools in gauging drought severity. This research aimed to assess the meteorological drought status in the Nile River basin by using the Power Data Access Viewer product rainfall data. Bias correction procedures were implemented to refine the monthly rainfall data for Bahirdar, Markos, Nekemt, and Muger stations, resulting in notable improvements in the coefficient of determination (R2) that were increased from 0.74 to 0.93, 0.72 to 0.89, 0.71 to 0.96, and 0.69 to 0.84, respectively. The average spatial distribution of drought in the Nile basin was classified as extremely wet (3.81%), severely wet (9.01%), moderately wet (7.36%), near normal (9.97%), moderately drought (21.20%), severely drought (17.11%), and extremely drought (31.54%). Approximately 10.33% of the Nile River basin was situated in regions characterized by high rainfall variability, while around 21.17% was located in areas with a notably irregular precipitation concentration index. Overall, this study sheds light on the prevailing meteorological drought patterns in the Nile River basin, emphasizing the significance of understanding and managing these phenomena for the sustainable development of the region.