Drought Variability in Agadir’s Region (Southern Morocco) – Recent and Future Trends

The area of Agadir, which is situated on Morocco's southern Atlantic coast, is characterized by an arid climate, and has been strongly impacted by climate change. The purpose of this research is to assess observed and modeled drought variability in time, on the basis of rainfall time series for...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecological Engineering & Environmental Technology
Main Authors: Said Amouch, Ahmed Akhssas
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Polish Society of Ecological Engineering (PTIE) 2023
Subjects:
spi
nao
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.12912/27197050/157169
https://doaj.org/article/323f2682a8604df4bd33a877a41cbbaa
Description
Summary:The area of Agadir, which is situated on Morocco's southern Atlantic coast, is characterized by an arid climate, and has been strongly impacted by climate change. The purpose of this research is to assess observed and modeled drought variability in time, on the basis of rainfall time series for the periods 1973–2020, and 2022 – 2099 by use of SPI, short for Standardized Precipitation Index. Findings from the SPI analysis show that the years from 1981 to 1986 were the driest as per the instrumental record. Future SPI projections indicate that the area under study will face several prolonged drought and wet periods between 2022 and 2099. The longest drought will take place from 2090 to 2093. Analysis of the relationship between rainfall in Agadir and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), is also studied especially for the winter months. The results of the study will provide a basis for drought surveillance and hydro-meteorological studies, in addition to initiating the desired managment of environment in this area.