Comparative Study of Temperature Change Effects on Precipitation for Upper Indus Basin Pakistan
Comparative Study of Temperature Change Effects on Precipitation for Upper Indus Basin Pakistan
Ateeq-Ur-Rauf1*,Wisal Khan1, Muhammad Salman Rafi2 and Nauman Khan3
ABSTRACT
Global warming and abrupt seasonal changes are the current challenging issues across the globe. Precipitation and temperature are two most important climatic factors. Both these climatic parameters seriously affect the water demand and strategies to assure its availability. Pakistan is an agricultural country and its economy, food security and prosperity lies in the best water management of water resources. These facts prompt us to study the changing temperature and precipitation relationship in Upper Indus Basin, UIB (hub of Pakistan water supply). Five substations of UIB (Drosh, Gilgit, Astore, Gupiz and Skardu) were selected for study, mean monthly precipitation and temperature data were collected for a period of (1980 to 2014) from Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). A non-parametric Mann-Kendall test with a 5% significance level was used for trend analysis. Study revealed the fact that except substation Astore all other substations’ precipitation trend is reciprocating temperature trend. Strangely for substation Astore the precipitation trend imitates the temperature trend. It was also found that temperature is changing in three of the four seasons on an annual basis during the study period and there is a variation in the precipitation and Temperature trend patterns among the five selected sub-basins of the UIB depending upon the location of these basins. From the results, longer summer and shorter winter are expected in the future due to rising temperatures.
To share on other social networks, click on any share button. What are these?
December 2021
Vol. 40, Iss. 2, pp. 91-134
