Paper Details

The present study analyzed the variability of the precipitation pattern and interpreted the frequency and intensity of the high-intensity rainfall and drought over the Kujgad Watershed, Kumaun Lesser Himalaya, India, over the past 5 decades, used the climatic data of the Uttarakhand Forest Department Tarikhet (Ranikhet), situated in the middle of the Watershed. The study observed a decreasing trend of rainfall (i.e., 0.25mm/year) and the data indicate that most of the rain amounts below the mean value (897.76mm ± 220.86 mm). Moreover, the study investigated that the decadal rainfall has increased during the winter, summer and monsoon seasons, whereas it shows a decreasing trend in the post-monsoon season. Likewise, the decadal rainy days indicated a declining trend in all seasons except the summer. Further, the Watershed recorded a progressively increasing trend in high-intensity rainfall events during monsoon months, with a considerably large proportion of high-intensity rainfall events falling in the category of severe rainfall events. At the same time, high-intensity rainfall events have shown a declining trend during winter, summer and post-monsoon seasons in the Watershed. However, the numbers as well as the intensity of drought have been observed to increase in the monsoon season compared to other seasons. The study concluded that climate change-induced extreme events of high-intensity rainfall and drought have emerged as the major environmental threats undermining the sustainability of the socio-ecological system and thus increasing the vulnerability of a large proportion of the population to water, food, health and livelihood insecurity in the rain-fed and densely populated Lesser Himalayan mountains.

High-intensity Rainfall, Drought, Rainy Days, Hydrological System, Livelihood security, Kumaun Lesser Himalaya, Kujgad Watershed