Kapitel: 3.1.7 Veränderung der Starkniederschläge

Precipitation trends and shifts of rainfall regimes in Africa since 1951:

Based on a recently available global data set of gridded precipitation observations for the period 1951 to 2000 long-term hydroclimatic variations over Africa are investigated in terms of linear trend estimates, long-term changes of drought indices, and spatiotemporal variations of major rainfall regimes.

Significant negative trends in precipitation sums and as well as corresponding significant increases in drought severity appear most striking in sub-Saharan regions and in northern parts of southern Africa. The comparison of the subintervals 1951–1975 and 1976–2000 concerning the percentage of land area designated to major rainfall regimes determined by non-hierarchical cluster analysis shows an expansion of arid and semi-arid climates on the cost of more humid climates especially in sub-Saharan and southern Africa.