Assessing the impacts of drought on water supply availability in west Hararghe zone, Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Drought Arises From Insufficiency Of Rain For An Extended Period Of Time That Causes A Considerable Hydrologic Imbalance And, Consequently Leads To Surface And Subsurface Water Loss Which Directly Resulted In Water Supply Shortages That Occurs In Many Regions Of Ethiopia Like The Case Of This Study, West Hararghe Zone. This Study Aims To Identify Drought Severity, And Mapping Drought Risk Prone Areas And Investigate Drought Impacts On Water Supply availability In West Hararghe Zone, Eastern Ethiopia. The Study Uses Geographic Information System (GIS) Based Drought Indicators Include; Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Land Surface Temperature (LST), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), Vegetation Health Index (VHI), And Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) To Analyze Quantitative Research Parts And Field Observation And Survey Data Analysis For Qualitative Research Parts. The Practical Field Observations, Questionnaires And Discussions Played Great Roles In Enhancing The Acquisitions Of Commendable Information And Experiences On The Objective Reality Of The Situation. The Result Maps Shows That About 1,137.18 Km2(8.05%), 4,171.48 Km2(22.52%), 6,136.19 Km2(35.13%) And 6,009.69 Km2(37.98%) Of All The Total Geographical Area Of The Zone Were No Drought, Slight Drought, Moderate Drought And Severe Drought Risk Average Areas From Results Of All Indices In 2021, Respectively. Furthermore, Severity Of The Drought Increased From 2,803.13km2 (18.59%) In 2000 To 6,009.69 Km2(37.98%) In 2021, Which Shows Above 3,206.56 Km2 Average Areas Were Additionally Occupied By Severe Drought. This Clearly Reveals That There Is A Dramatic Increase Of Drought Coverage In West Hararghe Zone. This Results Is Congruent With The Results From Survey Analysis Which Indicates That Above 60% Average Percentages Of Water Supply As A Whole And About 50% Of Water Supply Wells In The Study Areas Were Affected By Drought In The Past Two Decades. Drought Severity Generated Maps Of The Study Area Indicates That: Hawi Gudina, Burka Dintu, Gumbi Bordode, Boke, Oda Bultum, Mi?�?Eso, Ancar, Shenen Dugo And Guba Qorica Were Attacked By Severe Drought In 2021 Among Districts Of The Zone. Findings Of This Study Could Be Used As A Guide For Concerned Decision Makers; Government And Non-Government Organizations For Drought Monitoring, Preparedness, And Its Impacts Mitigation Activities.