Assessment of Drought Vulnerability using Standardised Precipitation Index and Multivariate Statistics: A Study on Lower Gangetic West Bengal, Eastern India

By : Tarun Goswami , Gopal Chowdhury , Niladri Das

Page No: 163-192

Abstract
The present work aims to measure the spatio-temporal relationship of drought occurrences through the Standardized Precipitation Index and Composite Drought Index. Precipitation data from 1960 to 2015 were used to assess the drought conditions over the region. The findings show that the southern coastal districts, Western lateritic areas of the Purulia district, and Gangetic plains in the Birbhum district depict extreme drought conditions over six months. However, the western Rarh regions observed extreme drought conditions over twelve months. Different drought parameters were used to determine the composite drought index. The spatial distribution of the combined drought index shows that the whole western Chotanagpur plateau fringe, which includes Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum, Paschim Bardhhaman, and Paschim Medinipur of Gangetic West Bengal, is the most drought-prone region. The composite drought index and parameters have also established a strong relationship. The study helps policymakers formulate suitable strategies for mitigating drought.
 

Authors
Tarun Goswami, Research Scholar, Centre for Rural Development and Innovative Sustainable Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, India.
Gopal Chowdhury, Research Scholar, Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, Delhi.
Niladri Das, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Hiralal Bhakat College, Nalhati, Birbhum, West Bengal, India.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/ATNAGI.2025.45.01.10