Assessment and monitoring of drought using meteorological indices in a semi-arid region: The case of the Oued El Grou (Morocco)

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to characterize drought in the El Grou basin, using the standardized precipitation index (SPI), over a period of 46 years from 1976 to 2002.

The results obtained show the alternation of dry and wet years with a marked trend towards dry periods, resulting in an accumulated frequency of severe or even extreme drought years. This remark is confirmed on two stations, which are Ras Fatiha and Sidi Jabbour.

The results obtained by SPI on 12 less in Oued El Grou, are similar with other research carried out on some basins using the same index, which means that drought is structural given in Morocco.