Space�time heterogeneity of drought characteristics in Sabah and Sarawak, East Malaysia: implications for developing effective drought monitoring and mitigation strategies

• Main Authors: Huang Y.F., Ng J.L., Fung K.F., Weng T.K., AlDahoul N., Ahmed A.N., Sherif M., Chaplot B., Chong K.L., Elshafie A.
• Other Authors: 55807263900
• Format: Article
• Published: Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH 2024
• Subjects: Drought; East Malaysia; Rainfall; Standardized precipitation index; Malaysia; Sabah; Sarawak; Agriculture; Stream flow; Agricultural productions; Drought characteristics; Drought mitigation; Drought monitoring; Mitigation strategy; Monitoring strategy; Spacetime; agricultural production; drought; El Nino; mitigation; precipitation (climatology); rainfall; spatial distribution; spatiotemporal analysis; Rain

Natural calamities like droughts have harmed not just humanity throughout history but also the economy, food, agricultural production, flora, animal habitat, etc. A drought monitoring system must incorporate a study of the geographical and temporal fluctuation of the drought characteristics to function effectively. This study investigated the space�time heterogeneity of drought features across Sabah and Sarawak, East Malaysia. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPIs) at timescales of 1-month, 3-months, and 6-months was selected to determine the spatial distribution of drought characteristics. Rainfall hydrographs for the area for 30�years between 1988 and 2017�have been used in this study. A total of six five-year sub-periods were studied, with an emphasis on the lowest and highest drought occurrence. The sub-periods were a division of the 30�years over an arbitrary continual division for convenience. The results showed that the sub-periods 1993�1997 and 2008�2012 had the highest and lowest comparative drought events. The drought conditions were particularly severe in Central and Eastern parts�of East�Malaysia, owing to El Nino events and the country's hilly terrain. Understanding how and when drought occurs can aid in establishing and developing drought mitigation strategies for the region. � 2023, The Author(s).