Spatial-Temporal Assessment of Drought in Punjab, Pakistan using SPI and SPEI with Mann-Kendall Trend Test

Highly rainfall variations create problems of floods and droughts in any region.This study focuses on spatial rainfall variability and drought assessment in Punjab province of Pakistan using Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). Various indices like standard deviation, Variance were calculated from annual rainfall of 16 meteorological stations during period of 1960–2015. Mann-Kendall technique was applied to check the trend for both SPI and SPEI. Out of 16 meteorological Stations under study D G Khan, Gujranwala, Jhang, Sargodha, Mandi B D and Sahiwal show a decreasing trend in annual temperature. On the other hand, Faisalabad, Jhelum, Lahore, Multan and Sialkot show an increase in trend of annual temperature. Remaining met. Stations show a linear or no trend. Out of 16 meteorological Stations 6 show an increasing trend in annual precipitation, 3 show a decreasing trend and the remaining show no trend in data at all. The analysis of SPI and SPEI results are showing that there was dry period at different time in historic data of Punjab. Almost all the Station or regions show dry period from 1965 to 1975 and then a dry period can also be seen in all the Punjab from 1999 to 2007 according to SPI results According to SPEI results all the Punjab is under dry spell from 1999 to 2015.