Trend Analyses of Extreme Precipitation Events in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin, China Using a High-Resolution Precipitation Product

Jiao Fan, Wenchao Sun, Yong Zhao, Baolin Xue, Depeng Zuo and Zongxue Xu
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Jiao Fan: College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai Street 19, Beijing 100875, China
Wenchao Sun: College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai Street 19, Beijing 100875, China
Yong Zhao: State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
Baolin Xue: College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai Street 19, Beijing 100875, China
Depeng Zuo: College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai Street 19, Beijing 100875, China
Zongxue Xu: College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai Street 19, Beijing 100875, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 5, 1-14

Abstract: The Yarlung Zangbo River Basin (YZRB) is an important transboundary river basin in Tibet, China with south Asian countries. Changes in precipitation are important driving factors of river flow changes. Extreme Precipitation Events (EPE), in particular, have serious impacts on human life and sustainable development. The objective of this study is to explore the temporal changes and the spatial distribution of EPE over the YZRB in recent decades using a precipitation product with a 5 km spatial resolution and the Mann–Kendall nonparametric statistical test method. A more thorough understanding of the spatial heterogeneity in precipitation was expected from using this high resolution dataset. At both basin and pixel scale, both annual precipitation amounts and number of rain days had significant upward trends, indicating that the increase in the number of rain days is one possible cause of the annual precipitation amounts increases. The annual precipitation and number of rain days increased significantly in 50.8% and 75.8% of the basin area, respectively. The areas showing upward trends for the two indexes mostly overlapped, supporting the hypothesis that the increasing number of rain days is one possible cause of the increases in annual precipitation in these areas. General precipitation intensity and EPE intensity increased in the Lhasa regions and in the southern part of the lower-reach region. However, the intensity of general precipitation and EPE decreased in the Nyangqu River Basin. A total of 43.0% of the area in the YZRB exhibits significant upward trends in EPE frequency. The contributions of EPE to total rainfall increase significantly in the Lhasa and Shannan regions. Overall, it was shown that the risk of disasters from EPE in the YZRB increases in the eastern middle-reach region and southern lower-reach region.

Keywords: Yarlung Zangbo River Basin; Extreme Precipitation Events; temporal trends; high resolution precipitation product (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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