History and Projection of Hydrological Droughts in the Benin Basin of the Niger River (Benin)

Authors

  • Yarou Halissou International Chair of Mathematical Physics and Applications (ICMPA-UNESCO CHAIRE), University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Cotonou, Benin; Laboratory of Environmental Geoscience and Application (LaGEA/UNSTIM), Benin
  • Alamou Adéchina Eric National School of Public Works (ENSTP), National University of Sciences, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics (UNSTIM), Abomey, Benin; Laboratory of Environmental Geoscience and Application (LaGEA/UNSTIM), Benin
  • Biao Iboukoun Eliézer National School of Mathematical Engineering and Modeling (ENSGMM), National University of Sciences, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics (UNSTIM), Abomey, Benin; Laboratory of Environmental Geoscience and Application (LaGEA/UNSTIM), Benin
  • Obada Ezéchiel National School of Public Works (ENSTP), National University of Sciences, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics (UNSTIM), Abomey, Benin; Laboratory of Environmental Geoscience and Application (LaGEA/UNSTIM), Benin
  • Tore Daniel Bio National School of Public Works (ENSTP), National University of Sciences, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics (UNSTIM), Abomey, Benin; Laboratory of Environmental Geoscience and Application (LaGEA/UNSTIM), Benin
  • Afouda Abel Applied Hydrology Laboratory (LHA), University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Cotonou, BP, 4521, Benin; West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL), GRP Climate Change and Water Resources, University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Abomey-Calavi, BP, 2008, Benin

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jasr.v5i2.4602

Abstract

In the context of a changing climate, the Beninese Niger River basin has been the focus of several research studies for the quantification, planning, and modeling of water and related resources for sustainable use. This research aims to characterize the historical (1976-2019) and projected (2021- 2050) hydrological drought of the Beninese Niger River basin. The study used daily observations of rainfall, maximum and minimum temperatures, runoff rates and simulations of HIRHAM and REMO RCMs from fifteen (15) rainfall stations installed around the basin. It uses standardized streamflow indices (SDI) at 12-month and 36-month time steps. The results show that the calculated SDI indices show, on average, for all the model scenarios used, chronological trends of increase. These increases are not significant (are of the order of 0.00001 per year). The analysis of the SDI indices shows that, on average, the hydrological droughts in the Beninese basin of the Niger River will increase at 36 months and decrease at 12 months of the SDI. In fact, these small variations of hydrological droughts will be accompanied by the increase of their duration and the decrease of their magnitudes. The droughts detected in the Benin basin of the Niger River during the historical period will continue until 2050 in the same range but with more extended drought lengths. It should be noted that most of the changes observed in the calculated and analyzed indices are not significant.

Keywords:

Hydrological; Drought; SDI; Beninese Niger river basin

References

[1] Soubeyroux, J.M., Vidal, P.P., Baillon, M., et al., 2010. Characterization and forecasting of droughts and low water levels in France from the Saffron-Isba-Moscow hydrometeorological chain. The White Coal. 5,10. (In French)

[2] Serhat, S., Necla, T., Alper, A., et al., 2013. Trends in turkey climate indices from 1960 to 2010, 6th Atmospheric Science Symposium, Turkey. pp. 24-26.

[3] Zengchao, H., Amir, A., Navid, N., et al., 2014. Global integrated drought monitoring and prediction system, scientific data. Subject Categories. Water resources. Hydrology. pp. 10.

[4] Giguère, M., Gosselin, P., 2006. Water and Health: A review of current climate change adaptation initiatives in Quebec. pp. 28. (In French)

[5] Gnanglè, C.P., Romain, G.K., Achille, E.A., et al., 2011. Past climate trends, modeling, perceptions and local adaptations in Benin. Climatology. 8, 14. (In French)

[6] Heim, R.R.Jr., Brewer, M.J., 2012. The global drought monitor portal: The foundation for a global drought information system. Earth Interactions. 16, 1-28.

[7] Layelmam, M., 2008. Calculation of drought indicators from NOAA/AVHRR images, Drought Early Warning System Project in three countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean: Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia LIFE05 TCY/TN/000150. pp. 38. (In French)

[8] FAO, 1998. Crop Evaporation - Guidelines for computing crop water requirements. Irrigation and Drainage paper; Rome (Italy). 56, http://www.fao.org/docrep/X0490E/X0490E00.htm

[9] McKee, T.B., Doesken, N.J., Kleist, J., 1993. The relationship of drought frequency and duration at time scales. Eighth Conference on Applied Climatology, American Meteorological Society. Anaheim CA. pp. 179-186.

[10] OMM, 2006. Drought monitoring, progress and future challenges. (In French)

[11] Spinoni, J., Naumann, G., Carrao, H., et al., 2013. World drought frequency, duration, and severity for 1951-2010. International Journal of Climatology. 34, 2792-2804.

[12] Oguntundé, G.P., Lischeid, G., Abiodun, J.B. et al., 2016. Analysis of long-term dry and wet conditions over Nigeria, Journal international de climatologie. 37(9).

[13] Ozer, P., Ousmane, L.M., Adamou, D.T., et al., 2017. Recent evolution of rainfall extremes in Niger (1950- 2014). Geo-Eco-Trop., 41, 3, n.s., 375-383. Special issue, 10. (In French)

[14] Batablinle, L., Lawin, A.E., Celestin, M., 2019. Future extremes temperature and rainfall : trends and changes assessment over the mono river basin in west Africa, XXXII AIC International Colloquium, Thessaloniki - Greece. pp. 9-14.

[15] Kodja, D.J., Batablinle, L., Akognongbe, A., et al., 2019. Rainfall and temperature changes in Oueme watershed by 2080 in west Africa, XXXII AIC International Colloquium, Thessaloniki - Greece.

[16] Mahé, G., Lienou, G., Bamba, F., et al., 2011. The Niger River and climate change over the last 100 years, Hydro-climatology: Variability and Change. Proceedings of symposium J-H02 held during IUGG2011 in Melbourne, Australia. pp. 7. (In French)

[17] Ozer, P., Hountondji, Y.C., Niang, A.J., et al., 2010. Desertification in the Sahel: history and perspectives. Bulletin of the Geographical Society of Liege. 54, 69-84. (In French)

[18] Vissin, E.W., 2007. Impact de la variabilité climatique et de la dynamique des états de surface sur les écoulements du bassin béninois du fleuve Niger, PhD thesis. pp. 310. (In French)

[19] Badou, F.D., 2016. Multi-model evaluation of blue and green water availability under climate change in four-non Sahelian basins of the Niger river basin, PhD thesis, University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC), National Water Institute (INE). pp. 155. (In French)

[20] Christensen, J.H., Hewitson, B., Busuioc, A., et al., 2006. Regional Climate Projections. In: Climate Change 2007: The physical Sciences Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Solomon S, Qin D, Manning M, Chen Z, Marquis M, Averyt KB, Tignor M and HL Miller (eds.) Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, New York. pp. 847-940. https://www.ipcc-wg1.unibe.ch/publications/wg1-ar4/ar4-wg1-chapter11.pdf

[21] Jacob, D., Bärring, L., Christensen, O.B., et al., 2007. An inter-comparison of regional climate models for Europe: design of the experiments and model performance. Climatic Change. 81, 31-52.

[22] Nalbantis, I., Tsakiris, G., 2008. Assessment of hydrological drought revisited. Water Resources Management. 23(5), 881-897.

[23] Graham, L.P., Andreasson, J., Carlsson, B., 2007. Assessing climate change impacts on hydrology from an ensemble of regional climate models, model scales and linking methods—A case study on the Lule River basin. Climatic Change. 81(S1), 293-307.

[24] Moore, K., Pierson, D., Pettersso, K., et al., 2008. Effects of warmer world scenarios on hydrologic inputs to Lake Mälaren, Sweden and implications for nutrient loads. Hydrobiologia. 599, 191-199.

[25] Sperna, F.C., Van Beek, L.P.H., Kwadijk, J.C.J., et al., 2010. The ability of a GCM-forced hydrological model to reproduce global discharge variability. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 14(8), 1595- 1621.

[26] Lafon, T., Dadson, S., Buys, G., et al., 2013. Bias correction of daily precipitation simulated by a regional climate model: a comparison of methods. International Journal of Climatology. 33(6), 1367-1381.

[27] Allen, R.G., Pereira, L., Raes, D., et al., 1998. Crop evapotranspiration - Guidelines for computing crop waters requirements - FAO irrigation and drainge paper 56; chapters 1, 2, 3 & 4, annex 3 & 5. (https://www.fao.org/docrep/x0490E/x0490e00.htm )

[28] Gaba, O.U.C., Biao, I.E., Alamou, A.E., et al., 2015. An Ensemble Approach Modelling to Assess Water Resources in the Mékrou Basin, Benin. Hydrology. 3(2), 22-32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hyd.20150302.11

[29] Obada, E., 2017. Approche de quantification des changements récents et futurs de quelques paramètres hydro-climatiques dans le bassin de la Mékrou (Bénin), Université d’Abomey-Calavi (Bénin), PhD Thesis. pp. 212. (In French)

[30] Afouda, A., Lawin, E., Lebel, Th., 2004. A stochastic Streamflow Model based on Minimum Energy Expenditure Concept. In contempory Problems in Mathematical Physics: Proceeding 3rd Intern. Workshop. Word Scientific Publishing Co. Ltd. pp. 153-169.

[31] Alamou, E., 2011. Application of the Least Action Principle to Rainfall-Flow Modelling, PhD thesis, University of Abomey Calavi, 231 pages & Appendices. (In French)

[32] Afouda, A., Alamou, E., 2010. Hydrological model based on the principle of least action (MODHYPMA). Annals of Agronomic Sciences of Benin. (In French)

[33] Zhao, C., Brissette, F., Chen, J., et al., 2019. Frequency change of future extreme summer meteorological and hydrological droughts over North America. Journal of Hydrology. pp. 11.

[34] Koudamiloro, O., Vissin, E.W., Sintondji, L.O., et al., 2015. Socio-economic and environmental effects of hydroclimatic hazards in the Oueme River watershed at the outlet of Bétérou in Benin (West Africa), XXVIIIth Colloquium of the International Association of Climatology, Liège. pp. 6. (In French)

[35] Spinoni, J., Paulo, B., Edoardo, B., et al., 2020. Future Global Meteorological Drought Hot Spots: A Study Based on CORDEX Data. Journal of Climate. pp. 27.

[36] Moustapha, T., Mouhamadou, B.S., Ismaïla, D., et al., 2017. Projected impact of climate change in the hydroclimatology of Senegal with a focus over the Lake of Guiers for the twenty-first century. Theoretical & Applied Climatology. 129, 655-665. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-016-1805-y

[37] Somsubhra, C., Dwayne, R.E., Yao, Y., et al., 2017. An Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Future Water Availability and Droughts in the Kentucky River Basin. Environment Process. pp. 30.

[38] Zhao, C., Brissette, F., Chen, J., et al., 2020. Evolution of future extreme drought frequency in two climate model large ensembles, EGU General Assembly 2020, Online. EGU2020-11449. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-11449

[39] Ghenim, A.N., Megnounif, A., 2011. Characterization of the drought by the SPI and SSFI indices (northwest Algeria), Scientific and Technical Review, LJEE. 18, 20. (In French)

Downloads

How to Cite

Halissou, Y., Eric, A. A., Eliézer, B. I., Ezéchiel, O., Bio, T. D., & Abel, A. (2022). History and Projection of Hydrological Droughts in the Benin Basin of the Niger River (Benin). Journal of Atmospheric Science Research, 5(2), 33–51. https://doi.org/10.30564/jasr.v5i2.4602

Issue

Article Type

Article