Spatiotemporal Analysis of Drought Characteristics in the Bundelkhand Region of Central India using the Standardized Precipitation Index

Abstract

AbstractThe spatiotemporal variations of the drought scenario over the Bundelkhand region in central India have been studied using the standardized precipitation index (SPI) for the time scales of 3, 6, and 12 months. The space-time variability of the drought characteristics has been analyzed using the SPI, which is based only on long-term monthly rainfall data. From this analysis, it is determined that the frequency and severity of droughts have increased over the last decade in the Bundelkhand region and varied between once in 3 years and once in 5 years. The nonparametric Mann-Kendall test for trend analysis of climatic variables has been applied to investigate the regular occurrences of drought during the last few decades. The sign test indicates that there is a falling trend in the seasonal rainfall and number of rainy days in a few blocks. However, statistically significant falling trends at a 95% confidence level have been observed with the 3-month SPI for many blocks in the region, indicative of t...