A new spatiotemporal two-stage standardized weighted procedure for regional drought analysis

Abstract

Drought is a complex phenomenon that occurs due to insufficient precipitation. It does not have immediate effects, but sustained drought can affect the hydrological, agriculture, economic sectors of the country. Therefore, there is a need for efficient methods and techniques that properly determine drought and its effects. Considering the significance and importance of drought monitoring methodologies, a new drought assessment procedure is proposed in the current study, known as the Maximum Spatio-Temporal Two-Stage Standardized Weighted Index (MSTTSSWI). The proposed MSTTSSWI is based on the weighting scheme, known as the Spatio-Temporal Two-Stage Standardized Weighting Scheme (STTSSWS). The potential of the weighting scheme is based on the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), and the steady-state probabilities. Further, the STTSSWS computes spatiotemporal weights in two stages for various drought categories and stations. In the first stage of the STTSSWS, the SPI, SPEI, and the steady-state probabilities are calculated for each station at a 1-month time scale to assign weights for varying drought categories. However, in the second stage, these weights are further propagated based on spatiotemporal characteristics to obtain new weights for the various drought categories in the selected region. The STTSSWS is applied to the six meteorological stations of the Northern area, Pakistan. Moreover, the spatiotemporal weights obtained from STTSSWS are used to calculate MSTTSSWI for regional drought characterization. The MSTTSSWI may accurately provide regional spatiotemporal characteristics for the drought in the selected region and motivates researchers and policymakers to use the more comprehensive and accurate spatiotemporal characterization of drought in the selected region.

A New Comprehensive Framework for Identifying and Monitoring the Interseasonal Characteristics of Meteorological Drought

“…Te SPI has several distinguishing features, including simplicity, spatial consistency, a probabilistic nature, and a capacity to represent droughts across both spatial and temporal dimensions. Further, the SPI is relatively easy to calculate in comparison to other indices, and the SPI is helpful in providing early warnings for drought events and help in drought damage reduction [1,18,58,61,62]. Te process of SPI analysis involves transforming the rainfall data into a normal distribution using the gamma probability distribution [1].…”

Spatial and Temporal Assessment of Drought in the Northern Prone of Iraq Using Standardized Precipitation Index

“…Drought is a complex phenomenon due to insufficient precipitation [1]. It is significant natural hazard that affects the society and economy in the most deteriorating manner compared to other natural disasters [2].…”