Geographical analysis of the drought phenomenon in the central highlands region of Yemen (during the time period 1950-2020)

Abstract

Drought remains the most frequent and serious environmental threat in middle east area, including Yemen. This study aims at a geographical analysis of drought trends in the central highlands region of Yemen. Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI 01, 03, 06,09 and 12-month timescales) was used to discover the temporal variation of drought during the time period 1950-2020. Also, the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software was used to determine the spatial distribution of the categories of drought in the study area. The results of the study revealed that there is a relative variation during the drought timescales (9 and 12) of drought, as the percentage was (49.50% and 48.56%) for the events of moderate conditions and (50.50% and 51.44%) for the occurrences of recurring categories of drought. As for the spatial level, the drought categories were distributed over the study area, with no significant differences, and this is reflected negatively on the natural resources in the region. Finally, it is recommended that, the concerned authorities and researchers should feel their responsibility and interest in addressing the phenomenon of drought and trying to do what is required of them towards this phenomenon, both in the field of work and specialization