This chapter sought to provide a thorough spatiotemporal evaluation of drought in West Bengal from 1901 to 2020, filling a gap in prior research by analysing each drought indicator for the region’s Northern, Western, and Eastern subsections. Overall, the methodology was implemented here in 5 phases. Utilizing the India-WRIS rainfall data, the Standardized Precipitation Index was calculated at short (3-month), mid (6-month), and long-time (12-month) frames during 1901 to 2020. Drought was first localized in the Western and Northern areas before progressively spreading Eastward and Northward over time. While at 3-months’ time frame, the drought trend showed an insignificant upward drought trend, but for the 6-months and 12-months, drought trends exhibited a significant upward trajectory. Peak intensity, average drought intensity, and magnitude reduced with time, despite an increase in frequency. Finally, Drought Susceptibility Zones were demarcated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). High drought susceptibility fluctuated from 2.30% to 17.82%, moderate drought susceptibility from 30.86% to 54.99%, and the low drought susceptibility from 27.17% to 66.83% across 3, 6, and 12-month time frames. Notably, high and moderate drought susceptibility dominated in the 6-month timeframe compared to 3-month and 12-month periods. This chapter highlights the evolving dynamics of drought for the state of West Bengal, offering valuable insights for effective agricultural planning in the region.

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Spatio-Temporal Assessment of Meteorological Drought of West Bengal During 1901–2020

  • Shrinwantu Raha,
  • Sayan Deb

摘要

This chapter sought to provide a thorough spatiotemporal evaluation of drought in West Bengal from 1901 to 2020, filling a gap in prior research by analysing each drought indicator for the region’s Northern, Western, and Eastern subsections. Overall, the methodology was implemented here in 5 phases. Utilizing the India-WRIS rainfall data, the Standardized Precipitation Index was calculated at short (3-month), mid (6-month), and long-time (12-month) frames during 1901 to 2020. Drought was first localized in the Western and Northern areas before progressively spreading Eastward and Northward over time. While at 3-months’ time frame, the drought trend showed an insignificant upward drought trend, but for the 6-months and 12-months, drought trends exhibited a significant upward trajectory. Peak intensity, average drought intensity, and magnitude reduced with time, despite an increase in frequency. Finally, Drought Susceptibility Zones were demarcated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). High drought susceptibility fluctuated from 2.30% to 17.82%, moderate drought susceptibility from 30.86% to 54.99%, and the low drought susceptibility from 27.17% to 66.83% across 3, 6, and 12-month time frames. Notably, high and moderate drought susceptibility dominated in the 6-month timeframe compared to 3-month and 12-month periods. This chapter highlights the evolving dynamics of drought for the state of West Bengal, offering valuable insights for effective agricultural planning in the region.