Assessing the changing pattern of hydro-climatic variables in the Aghanashini River watershed, India

Abstract

Growing population and climate change have altered the hydro-climatic trend from past decades. This manuscript analyses the abrupt shift in these time series and their changing pattern using historical data sets. The Pettitt test and the Standard Normal Homogeneity Test were used to evaluate the time series' homogeneity. The Concentration Index, Precipitation Concentration Index and Seasonality Index were employed to analyse the spatial variability of daily, monthly and seasonal rainfall patterns over the Aghanashini River watershed. Furthermore, the temporal trend in the rainfall, streamflow, and temperature time series was investigated using Mann–Kendall (MK) and the graphical Innovative-Şen (IŞ) test. Clear evidence of climate change impact on the rainfall and streamflow pattern was recognized, as there is an upward shift in the maximum temperature time series and a downward shift in the rainfall and streamflow time series after 2001. The rainfall indices showed that the watershed has fewer percentage of rainy days and stronger rainfall seasonality, indicating a possible risk of flash floods in the downstream of the watershed. Additionally, the results of the MK and IŞ trend tests paralleled each other and provided support for the findings emphasized by rainfall indices. © 2023, The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences & Polish Academy of Sciences.