Assessment of drought using different tests and drought indices in Elazig, Turkey

Abstract

Water is one of the most essential elements for human life and must be provided for life requirements. Historical changes in meteorological data are vital for the planning and operation of water management. A total of 516-time series were used to evaluate the characteristics of drought in Elazig in Turkey. In this study, meteorological drought analysis was carried out in monthly and annual periods by using the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), standardized precipitation index (SPI, innovative polygon trend analysis (IPTA), and China-Z Index (CZI) drought indices. As a result, it was determined that there was an increase in dry periods for all time scales for eight meteorological stations, especially in 2,000 and after. A downward trend was detected in precipitation data, while an upward trend was detected in temperature and evaporation data based on a 95% confidence interval. Although normal drought has the highest share among drought categories, very severe drought has the lowest share. It is determined that SPI gives more sensitive results in the very severe drought category than the SPEI index. As a result, the region's trend of rain and temperature will assist water management for resource planning.