Natural Resources, School of
First Advisor
Tsegaye Tadesse
Second Advisor
Mark Svoboda
Committee Members
Michael Hayes
Date of this Version
8-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Citation
A thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science
Major: Natural Resource Sciences
Under the supervision of Professors Tsegaye Tadesse and Mark Svoboda
Lincoln, Nebraska, August 2024
Abstract
Drought-Flood Abrupt Alternation (DFAA) is a compound disaster event that refers to the abrupt shift of extreme drought events to extreme floods resulting in exacerbated impacts on already vulnerable communities and hindering their coping abilities. This study aimed to analyze drought-flood abrupt alternation events and their impacts in Kenya. The first chapter aimed to understand historical drought events in the Greater Horn of Africa and their impacts, while drawing comparisons with the recent 2020-2022 drought period, referred to as the ‘triple dip La Niña’. Datasets used in this study include the Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station (CHIRPS), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, soil moisture, and crop yield data. The second chapter aimed to analyze the abrupt shift between drought and floods in Kenya. The Long Cycle Drought-Flood Abrupt Alternation Index (LDFAI) was used to analyze DFAA events from 1982 to 2024. In addition, DFAA events were correlated with impact and crop yield data. The results indicated a decrease in the intensity but increased frequency of drought events. The study also identifies two types of abrupt shift events: Drought to Droughts (DTD) and Drought to Floods (DTF). DTF events have been predominant in the last century where since 2012 there have been nine DTF events resulting to reduced crop yields. The insight from this study aims to advance understanding of climate change dynamics and offer valuable guidance in updating existing disaster early warning information to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate disasters.
Advisors: Tsegaye Tadesse and Mark Svoboda
Included in
African Studies Commons, Emergency and Disaster Management Commons, Hydrology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons, Other Environmental Sciences Commons, Water Resource Management Commons
Comments
Copyright 2024, Betty Makena. Used by permission