Climate Change Research

Climate Change Research

Monitoring Agricultural Drought in Regions with Insufficient Meteorological Data Utilizing the SAVI Index (A Case Study of the Sorkhab Dam Downstream Land in Ardabil, Iran)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Majid Raoof 1
Amin Akbari Majd 2
1 Professor of The Department of Water Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Water Management Research Center, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
2 PhD Student, Department of Water Science and Engineering, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
10.30488/ccr.2025.509195.1271
Abstract
Drought is among the most expensive natural occurrences in Iran. Agricultural drought is a climatic phenomenon that results in severe repercussions for food and economic resources. The key characteristic of this drought is the decline in soil moisture resulting from decreased rainfall or elevated temperatures, leading to lower farm output. The absence of climatic data hinders drought monitoring. The Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) was employed in this study to track agricultural drought in the agricultural areas below the Sorkhab Dam, Ardabil Province. Statistics revealed a correlation of 0.61 between the SAVI index derived from agricultural lands and the SPI12 index. As a result of this correlation, it is anticipated that with rising rainfall levels, areas of land that receive adequate water will expand, specifically those with a SAVI index ranging from 0.5 to 0.7, whereas areas of land that receive inadequate water will contract, corresponding to a SAVI index of 0.2 to 0.5. Data from 1986 to 2024 (39 years), was compared to data from 2010 to 2024 (15 years). The long-term trend revealed that the area of low-water lands with low SAVI indexes remained relatively stable, at a rate of -0.08 hectares per time. Conversely, the short-term trend indicated a significant increase in these areas, with a rate of +13.1 hectares per unit of time. In both periods, the observed rainfall patterns exhibited an upward trend. The selected statistical periods revealed that the positive effects of rising observed rainfall, resulting from adjusted temperature increases and alterations in soil moisture, were largely offset by corresponding changes in vegetation cover, as reflected in the SAVI index values. The application of remote sensing data in agricultural drought research and tracking can be highly effective and easily implemented in various locations, particularly in regions with inadequate statistics or limited observational data.
Keywords
Landcover
Agricultural Drought
Limited observational data
SAVI
SPI

Subjects

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