Development of the standardised precipitation index for Greece

Abstract

The use of standardised precipitation index (SPI) may lead to an understanding of a droughts magnitude and duration and thus contributing to integrated drought management options. Greece, a semi-arid country, has very often faced the hazardous impacts of droughts. The worst drought on record lasted from 1989 to 1993, and affected all the country, particularly the urban water supply of Athens metropolitan area. Rainfall time series from 41 rain stations were used to calculate SPI, for time scales of 3, 6, 12 and 24 months. Forty eight (48) interpolation surfaces were produced and assessed using historical data and statistical parameters for the SPI spatial visualisation through GIS kriging of the 1989–1993 drought. The results suggest the use of SPI as a drought monitoring tool, namely in areas with a distinct dry season, supporting drought forecasting and assisting integrated strategies for drought management.

Keywords:

• drought index
• standardised precipitation index (SPI)
• geo-statistical methods
• kriging
• gis
• Greece
• risk management