Detecting hydro-climatic change using spatiotemporal analysis of rainfall time series in the Cobres River basin, Portugal

Abstract

The knowledge of the climatic behavior especially in semi-arid regions is required to optimize the management of water resources. In this study, the climate variability is directly related to water resources that are of a high socio-economic and environmental significance. To optimize the hydraulic constructions, one needs to know the climatic behavior of the concerned region the role of which is very important in the water resources management in short, medium and long term. A comprehensive understanding of river flow and its distribution in time and space is essential for water resources management in the arid and or semi-arid regions. In recent years, various studies have been done for detecting possible climate trends and changes across the world, analyzing changes in temperature and precipitation only (Yang et al., 2014). The river flow regime in Portugal is highly seasonal, being clearly Mediterranean with a rainy season in the autumn and winter (November to March) and an extremely dry summer. The river flows are also very irregular, with severe droughts contrasting with surprisingly high flood discharges. The main objective of this study is to obtain a better understanding of the spatial and temporal variability and trends of river flow in the Cobres River basin, southern of Portugal, using statistical tools.