Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-7-3733-2010
https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-7-3733-2010
23 Jun 2010
 | 23 Jun 2010
Status: this preprint was under review for the journal HESS. A revision for further review has not been submitted.

Climate resources analysis for use of planning in crop production and rainfall water management in the central highlands of Ethiopia, the case of Bishoftu district, Oromia region

F. Yemenu and D. Chemeda

Abstract. Agricultural practices and water resources management in the central highlands of Ethiopia is highly dependant and associated with climatic resources and their pattern and hence wise use of those resources is a priority for the region. Accordingly, a study was conducted to asses and critically quantity the climate resources of the central high lands of Ethiop, Bishoftu district. Thirty three years of weather record data has been used for the work. The onset, duration and end of the growing seasons were defined and quantified based on FAO and Reddy models while the dry and wet spell distributions and the drought events were calculated using the Markov chain models and the standardized precipitation index (SPI) respectively. The results revealed that the mean onset of the main (Kiremt) growing season was found to occur during the second meteorological decade and ended during the end of September. Similarly, though unreliable and only few occurred during the entire study period, the mean onset of the shorter (Belg) season was found to occur during the beginning of the first decade of April. The length of the growing season during the main rainy season, (Kiremt,) ranged from 112 to 144 days with a standard deviation of 9.6 days and coefficient of variation of 7.5%. However, the mean growing length during the Belg season was found to be 22.4 days with a standard deviation of 27 days and coefficient of variation of 122%. The results of analysis obtained both from the Markov Chain and Reddy models indicated higher probabilities of dry spell occurrences during the shorter season (Belg) but the occurrences of the same in the main rainy season (Kiremt) was very minimal. Like wise, the SPI model detected some drought events ranging from mild to severe classes in both seasons based on one a month time scale analysis. A considerable attention of maximizing crop harvest during the main rainy season is practically important.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
F. Yemenu and D. Chemeda
 
Status: closed (peer review stopped)
Status: closed (peer review stopped)
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement
 
Status: closed (peer review stopped)
Status: closed (peer review stopped)
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement
F. Yemenu and D. Chemeda
F. Yemenu and D. Chemeda

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