SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF REFERENCE EVAPOTRANSPIRATION TO KEY CLIMATE VARIABLES IN AN URBAN AREA

<p>Evapotranspiration is a key parameter of the agrohydrological systems and is critical factor for water resources planning. The objective of the study is to analyze the sensitivity of the monthly reference evapotranspiration (ET<sub>0</sub>) to climate variables. Data were used for Nis urban conditions, for the period from July 2022 to December 2024. Sensitivity analysis was based on the calculation of sensitivity coefficients for four meteorological parameters: minimum and maximum air temperature (T<sub>min</sub> and T<sub>max</sub>), wind speed (U<sub>2</sub>) and solar radiation (R<sub>s</sub>). The ET<sub>0</sub> values were defined using the FAO 56 Penman-Monteith method. The results of the sensitivity coefficients showed that the two variables – R<sub>s</sub> and T<sub>max</sub> have the greatest influence on ET<sub>0</sub>, with the values of coefficients of 0.423 and 0.374, respectively. The analysis showed that T<sub>min</sub> has the lowest influence on ET<sub>0</sub>, in defined conditions.</p>