Using long-term rainfall records obtained by the rain gauge network of the former Italian Hydrographic Service, in cooperation with colleagues in other CNR Institutes (ISAC and ISAFOM), we have studied the changes in the rainfall regimes in Calabria, Southern Italy.
Applying appropriate statistical methods, we checked the completeness of the historical records, verifying consistency and missing values in the records. We used the obtained databases to assess the monthly, seasonal and annual rainfall trends, and to evaluate the impacts of the variations in the rainfall regime on droughts.
Analyzing daily rainfall records, we evaluated the likelihood of drought periods, characterized by long sequences of days without rain (dry spells).
For areas along the Calabria Ionica, analyzing jointly records of rainfall measurements and data on soil and vegetation, we evaluated the susceptibility to desertification, defined by the UNCCD (United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification) as land degradation due to climate change and human activities.
Caloiero T., Coscarelli R., Ferrari E., Mancini M. (2011). Trend detection of annual and seasonal rainfall in Calabria (southern Italy). International Journal of Climatology 31(1), 44-56. DOI:10.1002/joc.2055.
Brunetti M., Caloiero T., Coscarelli R., Gullà G., Nanni T., Simolo C. (2012). Precipitation variability and change in the Calabria region (Italy) from a high resolution daily dataset. International Journal of Climatology 32(1), 57-73. DOI:10.1002/joc.2233.
Coscarelli R., Caloiero T., Minervino I., Sorriso-Valvo M. (2015). Sensitivity to desertification of a high productivity area in Southern Italy. Journal of Maps, 1-9. DOI:10.1080/17445647.2015.1054904 .
Home » Focus » Droughts, desertification and climate change in Calabria, Southern Italy
