Recent changes in the drought of China from 1960 to 2014

• Published in: International journal of climatology 2020-06, Vol.40 (7), p.3281-3296
• Main Authors: Wu, Zhitao, Yu, Lu, Du, Ziqiang, Zhang, Hong, Fan, Xiaohui, Lei, Tianjie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural management; China; Drought; drought frequency; drought trend; drought‐affected area; Drying; Environmental risk; Evapotranspiration; Evapotranspiration-precipitation relationships; Extreme drought; Extreme weather; Meteorological data; Monthly meteorological data; Potential evapotranspiration; Regression analysis; Risk management; SPEI_PM; Wetting
• ISSN: 0899-8418; 1097-0088
• DOI: 10.1002/joc.6397

In recent years, extreme droughts have been frequent and widespread, and understanding the spatiotemporal variations in drought events in China plays an important role in drought risk management. In this study, using monthly meteorological data at 618 stations, we computed the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index with potential evapotranspiration based on the Penman–Monteith equation (SPEI_PM) for drought assessment. Furthermore, we analysed the trend, affected area, frequency and duration of drought in China over the period of 1960–2014 by the piecewise linear regression method (LRM) and Mann–Kendall (MK) method. The results showed that (a) the slight wetting trend reflected during 1960–2014 by the SPEI_PM (0.03/10a (p > .05). This trend was allocated to most parts of northern and southeastern China and was prone to arrive in winter. In contrast, the most significant drying trend was in the Loess Plateau and Yunnan–Kweichow Plateau. (b) The turning point (TP) year of drought trend was 1993. The SPEI_PM was increased in most parts of northern China before 1993 according to the LRM and MK method. However, it decreased after 1993, especially in the south and northwest of China; (c) Over the past 55 years, the areas affected by drought decreased at a rate of −1.23%/10a (p