Ethiopia Subnational Rainfall: Dekadal Indicators and CHIRPS Forecasts

WFP provides dekadal rainfall indicators for Ethiopia's subnational administrative units derived from CHIRPS satellite imagery and CHIRPS-GEFS forecasts. The data tracks precipitation totals, rolling aggregations, and anomalies across 10-day, 1-month, and 3-month windows updated six times per month.

Use Cases

• Drought monitoring using the 3-month rainfall anomaly (r3q) to detect prolonged dry spells
• Agricultural yield forecasting by comparing current 10-day rainfall (rfh) against long-term averages (rfh_avg)
• Early warning systems using the 'type' column to integrate CHIRPS-GEFS forecasts into disaster preparedness

Strengths

• Standardized Pcode references for administrative units
• Includes both historical averages and short-term forecasts
• Provides pixel counts (n_pixels) to indicate spatial data reliability

Limitations

• Satellite-derived estimates may vary from local station measurements in complex terrain
• Data values for a specific period change as they transition from forecast to final status

Provenance

Source

World Food Programme (WFP)

Collection Method

Satellite imagery combined with in-situ station data and GEFS forecasting models

Freshness

Updated six times per month on the 1st, 6th, 11th, 16th, 21st, and 26th.

Geography

Ethiopia