National Agroclimate Series of Derived Indicators (NASDI) - Standardized Precipitation Eva

The National Agroclimate Series of Derived Indicators (NASDI) includes the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), which measures drought by considering both precipitation and evapotranspiration demand. Historical data goes back to 1980, with indices calculated for multiple time periods from 1 to 24 months using the xclim Python package. This dataset is produced by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and provides insight into conditions across Canada's agricultural regions.

Use Cases

• Monitor agricultural drought severity based on the SPEI index that incorporates temperature-driven water demand.
• Analyze long-term water balance trends across Canadian agricultural regions based on historical data from 1980 onward.
• Compare drought conditions over different accumulation periods based on the 1 to 24-month SPEI calculations.

Strengths

• Historical record extends back to 1980, providing over 40 years of data.
• Indices are calculated for eight distinct accumulation periods (1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24 months).
• Data is produced by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, a national government agency.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to open_canada.

Provenance

Source

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Collection Method

Indices calculated using the xclim Python package from climate data.

Time Range

Historical record from 1980 onward.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-26 19:31:04.918636; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Canada's agricultural regions.