Huma Khan and Gauhar Mehmood
Abstract
Climate change impacts groundwater resources in Himalayan foothills through precipitation patterns, higher temperatures, glacier retreat, and freshwater availability. Precipitation trend analysis is crucial for climate change studies, especially in sensitive regions like Uttrakhand. The current study examines rainfall patterns in Almora, Dehradun, and Nainital districts of Uttrakhand using high-resolution gridded data from 1901- 2022 obtained from IMD, identifying significant trends and anomalies. The study uses the sequential Mann- Kandall test to analyze rainfall variability in Uttrakhand districts, identifying significant shifts in temporal patterns, critical inflection points, and hydrological variability. The study reveals a pattern of annual historic, seasonal and monsoonal precipitation in Almora, Dehradun, and Nainital. Almora experiences an upward trend from 1950 to 1970, followed by a decline and stabilization near the no-trend line post-1980. Dehradun shows a significant downward trend from 1950 to 1980, stabilizing thereafter. Nainital experiences a persistent downward trend from the late 1950s, intensifying between 1970 and 1990. Post-2000, precipitation stabilizes near the no-trend line, but long-term decline persists, especially for monsoonal precipitation. Region-specific differences are noted, with Almora showing mixed trends, Dehradun experiencing initial declines, and Nainital experiencing sustained negative trends.