Rainfall Analysis for Agricultural Purposes in Thies Region, Senegal

In rainfed conditions, crop success or failure is closely related to rainfall patterns. Assessment of rainfall variability is an integral part of water resources planning and management. This study is based on rainfall data from 3 weather stations over the period 1951-2017. Our approach is mainly structured according to visual and index examination. It is based on analysis of trends or changes in rainfall that is an important prerequisite for any agricultural planning. At the end of this study, it is noted that, given available information, current drought appears to be most important both in terms of duration and rainfall deficit it presents. Visual examination showed a high irregularity of rainfall and a general downward trend. This trend seems more remarkable in Mbour than Thiès and Tivaouane. Index examination showed that Thies had longest duration of drought and Tivaouane shortest. In terms of balance sheet, loss seems much more fatal in Mbour Thiès and Tivaouane. In terms of the drought probability occurrence, this examination showed that, Thies emerged as the most affected and Tivaouane as the least. These results highlight high vulnerability and significant drying up of study area.