Satellite-based assessment and model-supported evaluation of precipitation and surface soil moisture variability in water-scarce districts of Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan | |
| Author | Gul, Irsa |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.WM-26-07 |
| Subject(s) | Environmental monitoring--Pakistan Climatic changes--Environmental aspects--Pakistan Google Earth |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Water Engineering and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Water scarcity and hydro-climatic instability are major concerns in semi-arid, data-scarce regions such as Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, and Bannu in Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. These districts experience strong monsoonal seasonality, recurrent drought–flood conditions, and limited ground-based monitoring, making district-scale hydro-climatic assessment challenging.This study developed a satellite-based and model-supported framework to assess precipitation variability and near-surface soil moisture anomaly behavior during 2001–2023. CHIRPS precipitation, GLDAS Noah soil moisture, ERA5-Land, and SMAP datasets were integrated in Google Earth Engine. Standardized Precipitation Anomaly, Soil Moisture Anomaly, SPI-based drought analysis, and a composite Precipitation–Soil Moisture Anomaly Index (PSMAI) were applied. PSMAI is interpreted only as a surface hydro-climatic proxy based on precipitation and 0–10 cm soil moisture anomalies; it does not represent total water availability, groundwater storage, streamflow, evapotranspiration balance, or root-zone storage.Results showed that 55–65% of annual precipitation occurs during June–September. Although precipitation trends were generally positive, near-surface soil moisture showed a declining tendency, indicating weak conversion of rainfall into sustained surface moisture. Moderate droughts were identified in 2001–2002, 2004, and 2021, while 2010 and 2022 appeared as extreme wet years. CHIRPS showed strong agreement with PMD observations in Dera Ismail Khan (r = 0.895) and moderate agreement in Bannu (r = 0.674). Spatially, Tank showed the highest surface moisture stress, Dera Ismail Khan showed episodic stress, and Bannu showed comparatively stable conditions.The study provides a scalable framework for surface hydro-climatic assessment in data-scarce semi-arid regions and supports drought monitoring, agricultural planning, and climate adaptation in Southern KP. |
| Year | 2026 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering (2026) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Water Engineering and Management (WEM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Nattachet Tangdamrongsub; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Shanmugam, Mohana Sundaram;Sarawut Ninsawat;Hassan, Nurul Husna |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | ADB-KPCIP |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2026 |
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