Publications

Enyew, FB; Wassie, SB; Bekele, DA (2025). Monitoring agricultural drought using geospatial technologies: the case of Menna Watershed, northwestern Ethiopia. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED CLIMATOLOGY, 156(2), 81.

Abstract
The aim of the study is to analyze agricultural drought conditions and climate extreme indices using geospatial technologies in Menna Watershed, Northwestern Ethiopia. CHIRPS rainfall data, two MODIS datasets (MOD13Q1 and MOD11A2) from MODIS satellite, temperature data from climate prediction center, and Crop yield data from agricultural offices were utilized. The study employed 16 climate extreme indices as recommended by ETCCDI. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), Temperature Condition Index (TCI), and Vegetation Health Index (VHI) were computed during the crop growing seasons (2000-2022) to characterize agricultural droughts. The finding reveals that extreme temperature indices have significant decrease (at P < 0.01) in the number of cold days and nights, and a rise in the number of warm days (P < 0.01), and nights (P < 0.001). Conversely, extreme rainfall indices showed a decreasing trend throughout the study area. The spatiotemporal distribution of agricultural drought reveals that during 2002, 2009 and 2015 the area was extensively hit by droughts, while 2001, 2007, 2008, and 2018 were relatively wet years. In the last 23 years, agricultural droughts have been occurred about 2-16 times. The lowland and midland parts of the area were frequently affected by such recurrent droughts. Based on severity levels, 4.8% and 68.9% of the study area were vulnerable to moderate and slight agricultural droughts, respectively. Thus, the Menna watershed is frequently affected by agricultural droughts, which adversely harm crop yields and farmers' livelihoods, emphasizing the need for sustainable water management to enhance food security in the region. Implementing an early warning system and cultivating drought-resistant crops can help the community prepare for and mitigate the impacts of recurrent droughts, enhancing resilience and agricultural sustainability in the area.

DOI:
10.1007/s00704-024-05342-6

ISSN:
1434-4483