Assessment of Drought Vulnerability in Northern Nigeria.

Abstract

Drought is one of the most devastating hazards and widespread natural menace. Several studies have employed precipitation-based indices for drought appraisal in different geographical locations. In this study, the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) was applied to assess the severity of drought in some parts of northern Nigeria (Bauchi and Gombe substations). The SPEI was calculated from fifteen-year precipitation and temperature data at 3- and 6-month time scale. The study observed that mild drought has been ever present in the area of study at short- and long-term accumulation periods. The year 2019 was observed to be the driest year. The study concludes that SPEI-3 and SPEI-6 showed the ability to quantify drought.