Spatio-temporal characteristics of meteorological drought in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

This study analysed spatio-temporal fluctuations in rainfall to assess drought and wet spells in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Temporal changes in rainfall were assessed using a linear regression method, while aridity conditions at each meteorological station were measured using the United Nations Environment Programme climate aridity index. In this study, drought and wet spell patterns were identified using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). The Spearman’s Rho (SR) test was applied to find trends in the temporal 1-month and 12-month SPEI data. Balakot, Dir, Kakul, Kalam, Malam Jabba, Parachinar, Patan and Saidu were humid whereas Cherat and Timergara were sub-humid meteorological stations while Bannu, Chitral, Drosh and Peshawar were semi-arid and D.I. Khan was found to be the only arid meteorological station in the study area. The regression results revealed that the amount of rainfall is decreasing at Balakot, Kakul and Dir, while in the southern part of the province the amount of rainfall is increasing, such as in Parachinar and Cherat. The SPEI results revealed distinct drought spells in 1971–1974, 1984–1989, 1998–2004 and recently in 2017–2018, in almost all met-stations results. The SR results indicated a significant wet trend at met-station Parachinar, located in the west, while a significant drying trend has been noted at Balakot in the north-eastern part of the study area. Detailed knowledge about rainfall variability can provide a foundation for the planning and use of water resources.