ItemArticle

Transition in Kpen Climate Zones and Its Impacts on Hydroclimatic Extremes Across India

Title
Transition in Kpen Climate Zones and Its Impacts on Hydroclimatic Extremes Across India
Creator
Tiwari, Arpit; Nanjundan, Preethi; Kumar, Ravi Ranjan; Ratna, Satyaban Bishoyi
Description
Shifting climatic zones across India are reshaping the country's hydroclimatic balance, with significant consequences for drought behaviour and water security. This study examines how spatial changes in KpenGeiger climate zones between two climatological periods (19611990 and 19912020) are influencing long-term drought characteristics. Using high-resolution gridded rainfall and temperature data from the India Meteorological Department, the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Standardised Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) are used to assess drought intensity and extent across five major climate categories: tropical, arid, temperate, continental and polar. Results reveal a noticeable expansion of the arid zone by 3.86% and a contraction of the temperate zone by 6.94%, indicating a transition toward warmer and drier climates. These spatial shifts have altered regional drought behaviour, with formerly moderate zones experiencing more frequent and intense droughts. The arid and tropical zones, where expansion is observed, show increasing drought severity, largely driven by rising evapotranspiration due to temperature increases of 0.12C0.25C/decade (Tmax) and 0.10C0.20C/decade (Tmin). In contrast, regions where the temperate climate is receding are showing a loss of climatic buffering capacity against drought. SPEI captures more widespread and severe drought events than SPI, underscoring the increasing role of thermal stress in water balance anomalies. This study highlights that changes in the spatial extent of climate zones are a key driver of evolving drought patterns in India. Recognising these shifts is essential for improving temperature-sensitive drought monitoring and formulating zone-specific adaptation strategies in the face of accelerating climate change. 2026 Royal Meteorological Society.
Source
International Journal of Climatology;
Date
01-01-2026
Publisher
John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Subject
climate change; climate zones; drought; hydroclimatic extremes; SPEI; SPI
Coverage
Tiwari A., Christ University, Lavasa, Pune, India, Climate Research and Services, India Meteorological Department, Pune, India; Nanjundan P., Christ University, Lavasa, Pune, India; Kumar R.R., Climate Research and Services, India Meteorological Department, Pune, India; Ratna S.B., Climate Research and Services, India Meteorological Department, Pune, India
Rights
Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library
Relation
ISSN: 8998418; CODEN: IJCLE
Format
online
Language
English
Type
Article

Citation

Tiwari, Arpit; Nanjundan, Preethi; Kumar, Ravi Ranjan; Ratna, Satyaban Bishoyi, “Transition in Kpen Climate Zones and Its Impacts on Hydroclimatic Extremes Across India,” CHRIST (Deemed To Be University) Institutional Repository, accessed June 18, 2026, https://archives.christuniversity.in/items/show/21785.

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