Rainfall anomalies assessment during drought episodes of 2015 in Indonesia using CHIRPS Data

Abstract

Drought is one of the hydrometeorological disasters that have an impact on many sectors in Indonesia. Therefore, it is necessary to study the triggering factors in order to minimize the impact. This research investigates the meteorological drought during El Nino episodes in 2015 compared to normal episodes in 20017 to comprehend the impact on rainfall anomaly in Indonesia. Statistical methods applied to multi temporal CHIRPS (Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station) data has been applied for this purpose. Results show that the CHIRPS data correlate well with all stations' observations with the correlation coefficient in the range of 0.7 to 0.86. During drought episodes of 2015, there was an increase in areas affected by drought for extremely dry conditions (100%), severe dry conditions (> 90%), and dry conditions (> 50%). This study is important for understanding the influence of El Nino on drought phenomena in Indonesia.