Unveiling the persistence of meteorological drought in Iraq: a comprehensive spatiotemporal analysis

Droughts, stemming from prolonged periods of scarce precipitation, lead to significant economic and societal consequences. Iraq has recurrently experienced the impact of severe droughts. This study assessed meteorological drought over Iraq, employing the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) on 12-month time scales from 2000 to 2022. The SPI values were calculated for 27 meteorological stations over Iraq based on the monthly datasets. The analysis of the SPI highlighted that the years 2000, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2018, and 2022 stood out as the driest in Iraq from 2000 to 2022. Notably, 2022 emerged as a particularly severe drought year, with the Ramadi weather station recording the maximum SPI value at -3.48. Different time scales in the analysis provided a more precise depiction of drought severity and frequency in Iraq. Namely, the findings resulting from this study offer a nuanced understanding of the magnitude, intensity, frequency, and duration of drought events in Iraq. This nuanced approach equips stakeholders with valuable insights for implementing more cost-effective mitigation and adaptation measures. This study contributes crucial information for understanding and addressing droughts challenges in Iraq. The comprehensive analysis aids in formulating targeted strategies to alleviate the impact of droughts on people and ecosystems.