Apprehensive Drought Characteristics over Iraq: Results of a Multidecadal Spatiotemporal Assessment

Hameed, Maysoun Ayad; Ahmadalipour, Ali; Moradkhani, Hamid

doi:10.3390/geosciences8020058

Cited by 58 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…In the Middle East, many regions have faced drought-related problems since the 1900s [33]. The results presented in this study are important for the future of water availability in the region, taken collectively with an increase in population, water stress is likely to noticeably decrease per capita renewable water resources.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 77%

A 40-Year Analysis of the Hydrological Drought Index for the Tigris Basin, Turkey

Ozkaya

Zerberg²

2019

Water

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Drought is a natural disaster that occurs globally when water availability is significantly below normal levels. Drought assessment is important for water resource planning, and therefore indexes can be used to characterize drought magnitudes. Using the monthly streamflow data at 47 stations from 1972 to 2011, the streamflow drought index (SDI) series with 3- (SDI-3), 6- (SDI-6), and 12-month (SDI-12) time scales were calculated, and the hydrological drought of the upper Tigris Basin in Turkey has been assessed. The results showed that almost all stations experienced at least one severe drought during the study period. The results revealed that since the early 1990s the study area has become drier. Using the data for a 12-month period and the area of the sub-basins for each flow monitoring station, area-weighted SDI-12 (WSDI) values were constructed. According to the WSDI results, the intensity and number of drought conditions increased during every 10-year period. This outcome has been verified using the maps of averaged SDI-12 values over the Tigris Basin. We noticed from observations of the maps that the time domain zones in lower latitudes experienced drought earlier as compared with zones in higher latitudes.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 77%

A 40-Year Analysis of the Hydrological Drought Index for the Tigris Basin, Turkey

Ozkaya

Zerberg²

2019

Water

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“…However, in the context of global warming, assuming temperature to be stationary might lead to misleading conclusions. Therefore, SPEI is better suited for drought assessment, especially under a changing climate where the effect of rising temperatures is significant in drought development [28,29]. SPEI is based on the calculation of a monthly climatic water balance, which is determined by subtracting PET from precipitation [13,30].…”

Section: Meteorological Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Evolution of Drought Characteristics in Balochistan, Pakistan

et al. 2020

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In the wake of a rapidly changing climate, droughts have intensified, in both duration and severity, across the globe. The Germanwatch long-term Climate Risk Index ranks Pakistan among the top 10 countries most affected by the adverse effects of climate change. Within Pakistan, the province of Balochistan is among the most vulnerable regions due to recurring prolonged droughts, erratic precipitation patterns, and dependence on agriculture and livestock for survival. This study aims to explore how the characteristics of droughts have evolved in the region from 1902–2015 using 3-month and 12-month timescales of a popular drought index, the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). The region was divided into six zones using Spatial “K”luster Analysis using Tree Edge Removal (SKATER) method, and run theory was applied to characterize droughts in terms of duration, severity, intensity, and peak. The results of the non-parametric Mann–Kendall trend test applied to SPEI indicate prevailing significant negative trends (dryer conditions) in all the zones. Balochistan experienced its most severe droughts in the 1960s and around 2000. The effects of climate change are also evident in the fact that all the long duration droughts occurred after 1960. Moreover, the number of droughts identified by 3-month SPEI showed a significant increase after 1960 for all six zones. The same trend was found in the 12-month SPEI but for only three zones.

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“…Lately, the frequency of extreme events, i.e., droughts, floods, storm surges, and dust storms, has shown an increasing trend in the Arab region [67], but the consequences of these events have not been thoroughly investigated [68]. In most arid regions, flash floods are a natural phenomenon because rainfall can be very intense in a short time period, especially when these events are accompanied by dry or low infiltration capacity soils in the region [69].…”

Section: Extreme Events: Droughts Floods Storm Surges and Dust Stormsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of the 21st Century Challenges in the Food-Energy-Water Security in the Middle East

Hameed

Moradkhani

Ahmadalipour

et al. 2019

Water

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Developing countries have experienced significant challenges in meeting their needs for food, energy, and water security. This paper presents a country-level review of the current issues associated with Food-Energy-Water (FEW) security in the Middle East. In this study, sixteen countries in the Middle East are studied, namely Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Turkey, and the Arabian Peninsula (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (KSA), United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen). Here, we conduct a comprehensive assessment to study and evaluate the emerging drivers of FEW systems in the region. The investigated drivers include water security, extreme events, economic growth, urbanization, population growth, poverty, and political stability. The results suggest that most of the studied countries are facing FEW resource insecurity or weak planning/management strategies. Our evaluation further revealed the current status of each country with respect to each factor, and suggested that climatic and socioeconomic factors have contributed to the subsequent stress on FEW resources, specifically on the water sector. In general, and with respect to the water-energy security, it was found that energy production in the Middle East is highly constrained by water deficiency, drought, and/or economic growth. The water-food security in the region is mainly affected by drought, water scarcity, population growth, urbanization, and/or political unrest.

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Apprehensive Drought Characteristics over Iraq: Results of a Multidecadal Spatiotemporal Assessment

Cited by 58 publications

References 64 publications

A 40-Year Analysis of the Hydrological Drought Index for the Tigris Basin, Turkey

A 40-Year Analysis of the Hydrological Drought Index for the Tigris Basin, Turkey

Exploring the Evolution of Drought Characteristics in Balochistan, Pakistan

A Review of the 21st Century Challenges in the Food-Energy-Water Security in the Middle East

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