Long-Term Drought Study in Algeria Based on Meteorological Data

The meteorological parameters variation is analyzed for 12 locations in Algeria over the last two decades extending from 1993 to 2015. This research utilizes the mean values of air temperature, barometric pressure, precipitation, relative humidity, and wind speed data to study the annual and seasonal variation of the aforementioned parameters. The long-term variability in temperature and precipitation is evaluated by the De Martonne aridity index (^IDM). The northern part of the country (Annaba, Batna, Alger, Blida, Oran, and Chlef) is along the coast and mountains, and has the highest ^IDM values of 15.6 to 25.1. This is classified as a semiarid and humid area. The southern area (Adrar, Bechar, Biskra, El Oued) and high plateau (Naama, Laghouat) are classified as hyperarid to arid areas with the lowest ^IDM values of 1.0 to 8.2. Both methods, namely, the De Martonne approach and statistical analysis, have qualified that Algeria is not even a moderately wet country but rather a dry country.