GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS)-BASED SPATIOTEMPORAL RAINFALL ANALYSIS IN BELEDWEYN, SOMALIA

Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Spatial distribution, precipitation, Beled Weyn, Somalia This study aims to conduct a situational analysis in water management by utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyze rainfall data.GIS technology is a crucial information system that enables the collection, storage, updating, and visualization of spatially-referenced data through maps, thereby saving time and reducing costs in solutionseeking processes.The study area was selected as Beledweyne city in Somalia, located in the African continent, which has been severely affected by drought.Water management is a critical strategy in combating drought conditions.Using ArcGIS software, this study analyzes the long-term spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall in Beledweyne, emphasizing the significance of regional rainfall patterns across the city's four main districts: Hawa Tako, Bunda Weyn, Koshin, and Howl Wadag.The spatial and temporal distribution was examined using 30 years (1990-2020) of precipitation data obtained from the Climate Research Unit (CRU), one of the world's leading institutions in the field of natural and anthropogenic climate change studies.Rainfall patterns were interpreted every five-year period using the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) method.During this period, Howl Wadag district recorded a maximum rainfall of up to 542 mm between 2010 and 2015, whereas Hawa Tako district experienced a minimum rainfall of 143 mm during the 2005-2010 period.These findings are crucial for understanding local climate trends in the city.The visualized data through GIS is particularly important for future planning, especially in areas with high flood risk along the Shabelle River.To mitigate the impacts of these rainfall patterns on local communities, the establishment of rain gauge stations and the development of early warning systems are recommended.