Tefera (2026) Drought Variability and Cycles in Smallholder Farming Systems of the Sudano-Sahelian Region of Burkina Faso and Ghana

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Identification

• Journal: Meteorology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-09
• Authors: Meron Lakew Tefera
• DOI: 10.3390/meteorology5030029

Research Groups

• Laboratory of Hydrology (LH), University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
• Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Legon
• Climate Change and Land Use Management Unit, International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

Short Summary

This study evaluates drought variability, severity, and temporal periodicity in semi-arid tropical climates across representative locations in West Africa from 1981 to 2021. The findings highlight the importance of integrating multi-timescale drought monitoring with periodicity analysis into early-warning systems.

Objective

• Investigate drought patterns and their impact on food security and rural livelihoods in semi-arid tropical climates

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Regional (Centre-Est and Centre-Sud regions of Burkina Faso, Upper East Region of Ghana)
• Temporal Scale: 1981-2021 (monthly data)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Standardized Precipitation–Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month timescales, Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT)
• Data sources: Monthly precipitation and temperature data from satellite, observation, and reanalysis

Main Results

• Drought frequency ranged from 6% to 35%, with prolonged drought episodes lasting at least four consecutive months occurring between 11% and 39%
• Dominant drought cycles between 15 and 64 months were identified using Wavelet analysis
• Wet-season drought occurrence was slightly higher than dry-season occurrence

Contributions

• This study provides a comprehensive understanding of drought patterns in semi-arid tropical climates, highlighting the importance of integrating multi-timescale drought monitoring with periodicity analysis into early-warning systems.

Funding

• This research was funded by the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) project (Grant number: WASCAL/2018/001)
• The International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) provided additional funding through its Climate Change and Land Use Management Unit.

Citation

@article{Tefera2026Drought,
  author = {Tefera, Meron Lakew},
  title = {Drought Variability and Cycles in Smallholder Farming Systems of the Sudano-Sahelian Region of Burkina Faso and Ghana},
  journal = {Meteorology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.3390/meteorology5030029},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/meteorology5030029}
}