Tayfur (2026) Drought in arid and semiarid regions

Identification

• Journal: Elsevier eBooks
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-01
• Authors: G. Tayfur
• DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-443-34205-9.00007-x

Research Groups

Department of Civil Engineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, Gulbahce Campus, Urla, Izmir, Türkiye

Short Summary

This study analyzes historical droughts in arid and semiarid regions to determine the most suitable drought index for capturing extreme events, concluding that the Drought Performance Index (DPI) is more appropriate than the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) for these environments.

Objective

• To analyze historical droughts in arid and semiarid regions and identify which drought index is more suitable for capturing such extreme events.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Arid and semiarid regions, exemplified by selective case studies.
• Temporal Scale: Historical droughts, including events that have become common in recent decades.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Drought Performance Index (DPI). A comparative study was performed.
• Data sources: Not explicitly detailed in the provided text, but involves calculation of drought indices (SPI, DPI) from historical meteorological data for selected case studies.

Main Results

• The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is not suitable for drought assessment in arid regions.
• The Drought Performance Index (DPI) is a more suitable drought index for assessing drought in arid regions compared to the SPI.
• It may be beneficial to revise z-scores (or D-scores) for drought categories, adapting them to different climatic conditions.

Contributions

• Provides a critical assessment of drought indices for arid and semiarid regions, identifying the DPI as a more suitable alternative to the widely used SPI.
• Offers guidance for technocrats and researchers in predicting and developing drought mitigation measures by confirming a more appropriate index.
• Suggests a potential improvement in drought classification by proposing the revision of z-scores based on climatic conditions.

Funding

No funding information was provided in the text.

Citation

@article{Tayfur2026Drought,
  author = {Tayfur, G.},
  title = {Drought in arid and semiarid regions},
  journal = {Elsevier eBooks},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/b978-0-443-34205-9.00007-x},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-34205-9.00007-x}
}