Trend Analysis of Rainfall in Two Contrasting Regional Environments

Abstract

The study of climate change has become the most intriguing aspect of scientific research all over the world. Particular attention has been paid to analyze the regional changes under well debated global warming, i.e. changes in air temperature, with less focus on the impact of climate change on other weather elements including rainfall. While global warming has been attributed to anthropogenic impacts by many scientists, changes in rainfall amounts are still without determining clear causal relationships. Teleconnections viz., El Nino and North Atlantic Oscillation etc. and respective changes in cyclogenesis frequencies are possible causes. The consequences of climate variability and climate change are potentially more significant for the poor in developing countries than for those living in more prosperous nations. Vulnerability to the impacts of climate change is a function of exposure to climate variables, sensitivity to those variables and the adaptive capacity of the affected community. Climate variability can cause abrupt disruptions, such as floods, droughts or tropical storms. These disruptions can take a major toll on a country’s economy if a significant part of economic activity is sensitive to the weather and climate.