A description of recent drought prevalence in the Limpopo River Basin

This report provides an in-depth analysis of drought conditions in the Limpopo River Basin (LRB), with a focus on drought frequency, meteorological patterns, and agricultural impacts. Historical drought data and earth observation (EO) datasets are used to monitor and forecast drought severity. Key i...

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Autores principales: Ghosh, Surajit, Vigneswaran, Kayathri, Dickens, Chris, Retief, H., Garcia Andarcia, Mariangel
Formato: Brief
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Water Management Institute 2024
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/158254
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author Ghosh, Surajit
Vigneswaran, Kayathri
Dickens, Chris
Retief, H.
Garcia Andarcia, Mariangel
author_browse Dickens, Chris
Garcia Andarcia, Mariangel
Ghosh, Surajit
Retief, H.
Vigneswaran, Kayathri
author_facet Ghosh, Surajit
Vigneswaran, Kayathri
Dickens, Chris
Retief, H.
Garcia Andarcia, Mariangel
author_sort Ghosh, Surajit
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This report provides an in-depth analysis of drought conditions in the Limpopo River Basin (LRB), with a focus on drought frequency, meteorological patterns, and agricultural impacts. Historical drought data and earth observation (EO) datasets are used to monitor and forecast drought severity. Key indices such as the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), and rainfall anomalies derived from advanced EO technologies offer valuable insights into the basin's drought dynamics. • Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS) datareveals a persistent pattern of dry conditions from March 2023 to the end of theyear, which can be exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon. Notably, thenorthern and southeastern regions of the basin show the highest concentration ofdry days, critically impacting water availability and agricultural activities. • Vegetation health declined across the basin in the short term because of El Niño,which started in May 2023 and resulted in less than normal rainfall.Approximately 37% of the basin experienced drought during the 2023-2024cropping season, affecting ecosystems and crop yields. • The analysis of the water balance (difference between precipitation andevapotranspiration) for the basin's croplands in 2023 highlights significantfluctuations, with both surplus (Oct 2023 to Feb 2024) and deficit (Jan to Sep in2023) months. This variability underscores the challenges in managing waterresources for agriculture and food security. This data feeds into the IWMI Digital Twin platform for the Limpopo Basin, which provides near real-time hydrological data, supporting informed decision-making for water management and agricultural planning. The platform integrates multiple datasets, allowing policymakers to visualize and assess the evolving drought conditions across the basin.
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spelling CGSpace1582542025-12-08T09:54:28Z A description of recent drought prevalence in the Limpopo River Basin Ghosh, Surajit Vigneswaran, Kayathri Dickens, Chris Retief, H. Garcia Andarcia, Mariangel meteorology hydrology earth observation satellites datasets climate change drought precipitation vegetation rainfall water balance evapotranspiration water management water resources food security food insecurity land use resilience decision making disaster risk management This report provides an in-depth analysis of drought conditions in the Limpopo River Basin (LRB), with a focus on drought frequency, meteorological patterns, and agricultural impacts. Historical drought data and earth observation (EO) datasets are used to monitor and forecast drought severity. Key indices such as the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), and rainfall anomalies derived from advanced EO technologies offer valuable insights into the basin's drought dynamics. • Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS) datareveals a persistent pattern of dry conditions from March 2023 to the end of theyear, which can be exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon. Notably, thenorthern and southeastern regions of the basin show the highest concentration ofdry days, critically impacting water availability and agricultural activities. • Vegetation health declined across the basin in the short term because of El Niño,which started in May 2023 and resulted in less than normal rainfall.Approximately 37% of the basin experienced drought during the 2023-2024cropping season, affecting ecosystems and crop yields. • The analysis of the water balance (difference between precipitation andevapotranspiration) for the basin's croplands in 2023 highlights significantfluctuations, with both surplus (Oct 2023 to Feb 2024) and deficit (Jan to Sep in2023) months. This variability underscores the challenges in managing waterresources for agriculture and food security. This data feeds into the IWMI Digital Twin platform for the Limpopo Basin, which provides near real-time hydrological data, supporting informed decision-making for water management and agricultural planning. The platform integrates multiple datasets, allowing policymakers to visualize and assess the evolving drought conditions across the basin. 2024-10-30 2024-10-30T09:19:34Z 2024-10-30T09:19:34Z Brief https://hdl.handle.net/10568/158254 en Open Access application/pdf International Water Management Institute Ghosh, Surajit; Vigneswaran, Kayathri; Dickens, Chris; Retief, H.; Garcia Andarcia, Mariangel. 2024. A description of recent drought prevalence in the Limpopo River Basin. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Digital Innovation. 13p.
spellingShingle meteorology
hydrology
earth observation satellites
datasets
climate change
drought
precipitation
vegetation
rainfall
water balance
evapotranspiration
water management
water resources
food security
food insecurity
land use
resilience
decision making
disaster risk management
Ghosh, Surajit
Vigneswaran, Kayathri
Dickens, Chris
Retief, H.
Garcia Andarcia, Mariangel
A description of recent drought prevalence in the Limpopo River Basin
title A description of recent drought prevalence in the Limpopo River Basin
title_full A description of recent drought prevalence in the Limpopo River Basin
title_fullStr A description of recent drought prevalence in the Limpopo River Basin
title_full_unstemmed A description of recent drought prevalence in the Limpopo River Basin
title_short A description of recent drought prevalence in the Limpopo River Basin
title_sort description of recent drought prevalence in the limpopo river basin
topic meteorology
hydrology
earth observation satellites
datasets
climate change
drought
precipitation
vegetation
rainfall
water balance
evapotranspiration
water management
water resources
food security
food insecurity
land use
resilience
decision making
disaster risk management
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/158254
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