Drought characterization and severity analysis using GRACE-TWS and MODIS datasets: a case study from the Awash River Basin (ARB), Ethiopia

Drought is the utmost highly devastating phenomenon in Ethiopia because of societies that are reliant on rainfall-dependent agriculture; thus, it is crucial to characterize drought at the basin scale using new developments in remote sensing products and recently proposed drought indices. This study...

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Main Authors: Yitea Seneshaw Getahun, Ming-Hsu Li, Yi-Ying Chen, Tewoderos Addisu Yate
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IWA Publishing 2023-02-01
Series:Journal of Water and Climate Change
Subjects:
Online Access:http://jwcc.iwaponline.com/content/14/2/516
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author Yitea Seneshaw Getahun
Ming-Hsu Li
Yi-Ying Chen
Tewoderos Addisu Yate
author_facet Yitea Seneshaw Getahun
Ming-Hsu Li
Yi-Ying Chen
Tewoderos Addisu Yate
author_sort Yitea Seneshaw Getahun
collection DOAJ
description Drought is the utmost highly devastating phenomenon in Ethiopia because of societies that are reliant on rainfall-dependent agriculture; thus, it is crucial to characterize drought at the basin scale using new developments in remote sensing products and recently proposed drought indices. This study aimed to quantify drought in the Awash River Basin (ARB) using drought indices of the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), Evaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI), Evaporative Stress Index (ESI), and Water Storage Deficit Index (WSDI). The Mann–Kendall test analysis of annual and seasonal terrestrial water storage (TWS) showed a significant increase from 2002 to 2017 that is beneficial for developmental activities in the ARB. GRACE showed a record high extreme drought that persisted for 15 months was noticed from 2005/01 to 2006/03 with a total water storage deficit of −411.8 mm with a peak shortage of −46.24 mm in 2005/03, representing severe terrestrial water shortage in the ARB. This GRACE-TWS-based quantified extreme water shortage in 2005/30 can be used as a threshold for adaptation. Overall, this study provides a reliable outcome that will be vital for the establishment of climate change adaptation pathways in the future for viable water resources management to minimize the disastrous impacts of drought in the AR. HIGHLIGHTS TWS showed a significantly increasing trend in the basin with an annual rate of 3.6 mm/year.; A significant TWS deficit was observed before 2009, and a significant increase afterward.; The SPI, SPEI, ESI, and EDDI indices highly correlated at 3- and 6-month time scales.; GRACE-based, i.e. a total water deficit of −411.8 mm is a useful threshold for climate change adaptation.;
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spelling doaj.art-8d045b30e79b4874b9455a391b95de5d2024-04-17T08:16:56ZengIWA PublishingJournal of Water and Climate Change2040-22442408-93542023-02-0114251654210.2166/wcc.2023.361361Drought characterization and severity analysis using GRACE-TWS and MODIS datasets: a case study from the Awash River Basin (ARB), EthiopiaYitea Seneshaw Getahun0Ming-Hsu Li1Yi-Ying Chen2Tewoderos Addisu Yate3 College of Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, P.O. Box 445, Ethiopia Graduate Institute of Hydrological and Oceanic Sciences, National Central University, 320, Taoyuan, Taiwan Academia Sinica, Research Centre for Environmental Changes, 115, Taipei, Taiwan Meteorology and Hydrology Faculty, Water Technology Institute, Arba Minch University, Ethiopia Drought is the utmost highly devastating phenomenon in Ethiopia because of societies that are reliant on rainfall-dependent agriculture; thus, it is crucial to characterize drought at the basin scale using new developments in remote sensing products and recently proposed drought indices. This study aimed to quantify drought in the Awash River Basin (ARB) using drought indices of the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), Evaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI), Evaporative Stress Index (ESI), and Water Storage Deficit Index (WSDI). The Mann–Kendall test analysis of annual and seasonal terrestrial water storage (TWS) showed a significant increase from 2002 to 2017 that is beneficial for developmental activities in the ARB. GRACE showed a record high extreme drought that persisted for 15 months was noticed from 2005/01 to 2006/03 with a total water storage deficit of −411.8 mm with a peak shortage of −46.24 mm in 2005/03, representing severe terrestrial water shortage in the ARB. This GRACE-TWS-based quantified extreme water shortage in 2005/30 can be used as a threshold for adaptation. Overall, this study provides a reliable outcome that will be vital for the establishment of climate change adaptation pathways in the future for viable water resources management to minimize the disastrous impacts of drought in the AR. HIGHLIGHTS TWS showed a significantly increasing trend in the basin with an annual rate of 3.6 mm/year.; A significant TWS deficit was observed before 2009, and a significant increase afterward.; The SPI, SPEI, ESI, and EDDI indices highly correlated at 3- and 6-month time scales.; GRACE-based, i.e. a total water deficit of −411.8 mm is a useful threshold for climate change adaptation.;http://jwcc.iwaponline.com/content/14/2/516drought characteristicsdrought indicesdrought severitygracemodistwsa
spellingShingle Yitea Seneshaw Getahun
Ming-Hsu Li
Yi-Ying Chen
Tewoderos Addisu Yate
Drought characterization and severity analysis using GRACE-TWS and MODIS datasets: a case study from the Awash River Basin (ARB), Ethiopia
Journal of Water and Climate Change
drought characteristics
drought indices
drought severity
grace
modis
twsa
title Drought characterization and severity analysis using GRACE-TWS and MODIS datasets: a case study from the Awash River Basin (ARB), Ethiopia
title_full Drought characterization and severity analysis using GRACE-TWS and MODIS datasets: a case study from the Awash River Basin (ARB), Ethiopia
title_fullStr Drought characterization and severity analysis using GRACE-TWS and MODIS datasets: a case study from the Awash River Basin (ARB), Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Drought characterization and severity analysis using GRACE-TWS and MODIS datasets: a case study from the Awash River Basin (ARB), Ethiopia
title_short Drought characterization and severity analysis using GRACE-TWS and MODIS datasets: a case study from the Awash River Basin (ARB), Ethiopia
title_sort drought characterization and severity analysis using grace tws and modis datasets a case study from the awash river basin arb ethiopia
topic drought characteristics
drought indices
drought severity
grace
modis
twsa
url http://jwcc.iwaponline.com/content/14/2/516
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AT minghsuli droughtcharacterizationandseverityanalysisusinggracetwsandmodisdatasetsacasestudyfromtheawashriverbasinarbethiopia
AT yiyingchen droughtcharacterizationandseverityanalysisusinggracetwsandmodisdatasetsacasestudyfromtheawashriverbasinarbethiopia
AT tewoderosaddisuyate droughtcharacterizationandseverityanalysisusinggracetwsandmodisdatasetsacasestudyfromtheawashriverbasinarbethiopia