TITLE:
Assessment of the Application of the Integrated Multi-Satellite Retrievals for GPM Satellite Precipitation Products for Extreme Dry and Wet Events Monitoring in Togo (2001-2019)
AUTHORS:
Agnessa Tadouna, Nilton Évora do Rosário, Anita Drumond
KEYWORDS:
IMERG, Rainfall, Monitoring, SPI, Droughts, Wet Events
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.12 No.10,
October
31,
2024
ABSTRACT: Togo’s economy is heavily dependent on rainfed agriculture. Therefore, anomalies in precipitation can have a significant impact on crop yields, affecting food production and security. Thus, monitoring anomalous climate conditions in Togo through the combination of precipitation satellite-based data and Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) help anticipate the development of drought scenarios or excessive rainfall, allowing farmers to adjust their strategies and minimize losses. Continuous and adequate spatial monitoring of these climate anomalies provided by satellite-based products can be central to an effective early warning system (EWS) implementation in Togo. Precipitation satellite-based products have been presented invaluable tools for assessing droughts and , offering timely and comprehensive data that supports a wide range of applications. In this study, we applied the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) rainfall product, a unified satellite global precipitation product developed by NASA, to identify and characterize the severity of dry and wet climate events in Togo during the period from 2001 to 2019. The Standard Precipitation Index (SPI), as the main index recommended by the World Meteorological Organization to monitor drought wide world, was selected as the reference index to monitor dry and wet climate events across Togo regions. The results show two distinct major climate periods in Togo in the timeframe analyzed (2001-2019), one dominated by wet events from 2008 to 2010, and a second marked by severe and extreme dry events from 2013 to 2015; MERG rainfall and SPI combination were able to capture these events consistently.