Assessment and drought monitoring using Standardized Precipitation (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration (SPEI) Indices in Hormozgan province

Drought is one of the most important natural disasters that threaten human societies. Various indices are employed for drought monitoring. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and monitor the drought phenomenon based on two indicators of standardized precipitation (SPI) and standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration (SPEI) in Hormozgan province. SPI index is calculated only based on precipitation data, and SPEI index is calculated based on precipitation data and evapotranspiration potential values Torrent White method) of drought. For this study, monthly precipitation data and average monthly temperature data of five synoptic stations of Bandar Abbas, Bandar Lengeh, Hajiabad, Minab, and Bandar Jask for a period of 30 years (1988-2017) were used. The results showed that although the values of SPI and SPEI index were correlated, SPEI index was more sensitive to drought and faster response to it and showed longer dry and wet periods. Comparison of SPI index values of different climate stations revealed no significant difference between their SPI values. It was also found that there was no considerable difference between SPEI index values for selected stations. Finally, the findings showed that the spatial distribution of the SPI index was more uniform compared to that of the SPEI index in Hormozgan province.