Analysis of rainfall dynamics in the three main cities of northern Cameroon

Abstract

The northern zone of Cameroon, which depends mainly on agriculture, is considered one of the most vulnerable regions in the country to climate change.Few studies based on eld data have examined the changes in climatic conditions that affect agriculture. This research focuses on uctuations in precipitation that determine dry and wet seasons. From 1973 to 2020, data were collected from weather stations located in three major cities in northern Cameroon: Ngaoundere, Garoua and Maroua. Data were tested for homogeneity using the Pettitt and Buishand tests. Trends were analyzed using the Mann-Kendall test, Sen's slope estimator and the regression line, while drought severity was assessed using the standardized rainfall index method. These data homogeneity tests were performed using two statistical tools, SPSS and XLSTA software. According to the Pettitt's test, rainfall increased by 29.6% in