Water availability trends across water management zones in Uganda
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Atmospheric Science Letters
Abstract
This study assessed trends in gridded (0.25 0.25 ) Climate Forecast System
Reanalysis (CFSR) precipitation, potential evapotranspiration (PET), and precipitation
minus PET (PMP) across the four water management zones (WMZs)
in Uganda including Kyoga, Victoria, Albert, and Upper Nile. The period considered
was 1979–2013. Validation of CFSR datasets was conducted using precipitation
observed at eight meteorological stations across the country.
Observed precipitation trend direction was satisfactorily reproduced by CFSR
data extracted at five out of eight stations. Negative (positive) values of longterm
PMP mean were considered to indicate areas characterized by water scarcity
(surplus). Areas with large positive PMP were confined to Lake Victoria
and mountains such as Rwenzori and Elgon. The largest negative PMP values
were in the arid and semi-arid areas of north and northeastern Uganda. The
null hypothesis H0 (no trend) was rejected (p < 0.05) for increasing annual precipitation
trends across the various WMZs except in the extreme eastern parts
of the Upper Nile, Kyoga, and Victoria WMZs (or areas along the boundary of
Uganda and Kenya). The H0 (no trend) was rejected (p < 0.05) for decreasing
trends in annual PET over West Nile region of the Upper Nile, western parts
of Victoria, and the Albert WMZs. For increasing trend in PMP, the H0
(no trend) was rejected (p < 0.05) across the various WMZs except around the
Mount Elgon area. The study findings are relevant for planning of water
resources management across the different WMZs in the country.
Description
Keywords
Potential evapotranspiration, Precipitation, Trend analyses, Uganda, Water availability, Water management zones, Water scarcity
Citation
Onyutha, C., Asiimwe, A., Muhwezi, L., & Mubialiwo, A. (2021). Water availability trends across water management zones in Uganda. Atmospheric Science Letters, DOI: 10.1002/asl.1059