Applicability of combined drought index in drought analysis over North Eastern Kenya

Droughts are hindrances to economic and social developments in many parts of the world, especially in developing nations like Kenya. In North Eastern Kenya (NEK), drought is very prevalent. The communities in the region are mainly dependent on animal farming, and drought occurrence leads to great socioeconomic setback. Drought indices used in most studies consider rainfall as the only parameter for assessing drought occurrences. This study analyzes drought in NEK using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Combined Drought Index (CDI) using rainfall and temperature values and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index values for the period 1980–2010. The results of the two indices show significant correlation. However, CDI is preferred in the analysis of the drought compared to the SPI as it gives drought in more detail, showing extreme, severe, moderate and mild. The study recommends the use of the two methods independently since they give similar results and further recommends trial in other parts of the country affected by drought