Review of in-situ and remote sensing-based indices and their applicability for integrated drought monitoring in South Africa
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
MDPI
Abstract
The devastating socioeconomic impacts of recent droughts have intensified the need for
improved drought monitoring in South Africa (SA). This study has shown that not all indices can be
universally applicable at all regions worldwide, and there is no single index that can represent all
aspects of droughts. The aim of this study was to review the performance and applicability of the
Palmer drought severity index (PDSI), surface water supply index (SWSI), vegetation condition index
(VCI), standardised precipitation index (SPI), standardised precipitation evapotranspiration index
(SPEI), standardised streamflow index (SSI), standardised groundwater index (SGI), and GRACE
(Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment)-based drought indices in SA and provide guidelines
for selecting feasible candidates for integrated drought monitoring. The review is based on the
‘2016 World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Handbook of Drought Indicators and Indices’
guidelines. The PDSI and SWSI are not feasible in SA, mainly because they are relatively complex to
compute and interpret and cannot use readily available and accessible data.
Description
Keywords
Drought, Climate change, Geoscience, Geography, South Africa
Citation
Mukhawana, M. B. et al. (2023). Review of in-situ and remote sensing-based indices and their applicability for integrated drought monitoring in South Africa. Water, 15(2), 240.https://doi.org/10.3390/w15020240