Influence of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) on Hydro-climate variability in Dwangwa River Basin, Malawi

Abstract Large-scale climate processes such as the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) have significant roles in modulating rainfall and hydrological systems. Understanding such processes can inform adaptation measures for climate change and variability, as well as water resource management and planning. This study investigated the impact of IOD on rainfall and discharge variability in the Dwangwa River Basin (DRB) in Malawi, a key inflow to Lake Malawi. Specifically, the study analysed annual rainfall variability trends from 1985 to 2015 using the Coefficient of Variation (CV) and the annual Precipitation Concentration Index (PCI). The significance and direction of rainfall and discharge trends were quantified using the Mann-Kendall trend test at the α = 0.05 significance level. To evaluate the association between rainfall and IOD, the Pearson product moment used three IOD phases: positive, negative, and neutral. Simple linear regression was utilised to check the response of the river during the concerned IOD phases. The study found CVs below 30%, typical of climates with moderate monthly rainfall variability. The PCI ranged from 20–30%, suggesting a strongly seasonal and highly variable temporal intra-annual rainfall distribution in the DRB. Moreover, the Mann-Kendall test statistics showed insignificant annual rainfall trends. Further, the findings demonstrated an insignificant negative correlation between rainfall and positive IOD, with rainfall increases associated with negative IOD, whereas positive IOD is associated with decreased river discharge. Consequently, El Niño and a positive IOD could cause DRB to have low water availability.