Arid Zone Research ›› 2025, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (4): 589-599.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2025.04.02

• Weather and Climate • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatiotemporal variations in drought conditions in Xinjiang based on TVDI

LI Xiaopeng1(), LI Kang1, LEI Shuang1, JIA Fugui1, XU Jing2   

  1. 1. School of Agricultural and Forestry Economics and Management, Lanzhou University of Finance and Economics, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China
    2. School of Accounting, Lanzhou University of Finance and Economics, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China
  • Received:2024-11-29 Revised:2024-12-28 Online:2025-04-15 Published:2025-04-10

Abstract:

Drought is a significant factor affecting the ecological stability and agricultural productivity of Xinjiang. Timely drought monitoring is crucial for ensuring food security in the region. This study constructed the TVDI based on the Land Surface Temperature and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index derived from the MODIS data between 2001 and 2020. This study explores the spatial distribution characteristics of drought in Xinjiang and its potential future evolution trends. The results indicate that: (1) On average, 78.7% of the region experiences drought of varying degrees, with a mean TVDI of 0.58 over the past two decades, suggesting a generally mild drought. (2) Future drought conditions in Xinjiang are expected to ease, with a TVDI decline rate of 0.0017 per year, and 81% of the region showing a trend toward increasing moisture levels. (3) TVDI correlates weakly with meteorological factors but strongly with elevation. When the degree of drought is relatively high, unused land contributes significantly to the TVDI, whereas grassland contributes significantly to the TVDI when the degree of drought is relatively low. Additionally, the unused land area correlates positively with drought, whereas forest and grassland areas correlate negatively with drought. These findings highlight the importance of reducing unused land and expanding forest and grassland areas to mitigate drought conditions.

Key words: TVDI, drought, trend analysis, Xinjiang