Abstract
ABSTRACT In semi-arid regions, the use of drought and aridity indices in order to establish diagnoses and prognoses that help in water resources management is crucial, above all, for the evaluation of long-term water availability, and monitoring hydrological extreme events. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the trends of extreme events to determine susceptibility to desertification in the Brígida river basin, by Drought (RAI, SPI and PDSI) and Aridity (MIA, AI and AIASD) Indices. The results of these indices submitted to statistical analysis (Tukey Test) and to the evaluation of the climate trend (TREND software). The Tukey Test indicated that the PDSI and RAI method are the most suitable for drought analysis, while AI is most appropriate for aridity. The results indicated that regardless of the indices employed, the stations presented significant results in the trend analysis, suggesting intensification of these events over time. Therefore, concluded that drought and aridity indices could help water resources management by managing bodies, indicating the evolution of extreme hydrological phenomena, suggesting the adoption of preventive and mitigating actions regarding the use of water priority. In conclusion, these indices can be used as a tool for indicating areas susceptible to the desertification process.
Highlights
Dry lands as well-known are the arid, semi-arid and subhumid dry lands covering about 41% of the continents and islands of the planet and house about a third of the world’s population
The above data corroborate the hypothesis of a trend change in the region of the Brígida river basin on a time scale, since the most recent data are different when compared to the older data
The results suggest that the wet period (R0, R1 and R2 together) for the 13 municipalities in the territory of the basin have reduced in recent years (1991-2016), which in the long term may cause several problems related to water resources, such as low availability of water for supply and increased susceptibility to desertification processes
Summary
Dry lands as well-known are the arid, semi-arid and subhumid dry lands covering about 41% of the continents and islands of the planet and house about a third of the world’s population. In these areas are located most of the poverty, especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America (Centro de Gestão e Estudos Estratégicos, 2016). According to Ribeiro & Santos (2016), the Brazilian semi-arid region is the most populous dry region in the world, which makes the threat to water, food and energy security a constant factor due to the repeated occurrence of droughts
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