Growing season rainfall trends and drought intensities in the Sudano-Sahelian Region of Nigeria

Abstract

The paper examined rainfall trends and drought intensities during the growing season (June- September) in the Sudano-Sahelian region of Nigeria using rainfall data for Sokoto, Katsina, Kano, Potiskum, Nguru, Maiduguri (1951-2010) and Gusau (1953-2010). Linear trend lines and second order polynomial were used to examine the trends of rainfall at the synoptic weather stations. The growing season drought intensities were computed as percentage deviation from the mean rainfall. The results reveal downward trends of growing season rainfall in all the synoptic weather stations investigated in the study with the exception of Kano which showed positive. The drought intensities were mainly slight, moderate and severe and largely depict spatial and temporal variations. In view of the pivotal role of the Sudano-Sahelian region as the main source of the nation’s cereal and animal protein, it is recommended that the establishment of irrigation projects should be intensified and agricultural activities in the region should be aligned with prevailing climatic trends in order to realize the country’s quest for food security.

Keywords: Rainfall, trends, drought intensities, Sudano-Sahelian