U of A Monticello’s Dr. Hamdi Zurqani Exploring Ways to Combat Drought in Arkansas

The Arkansas Water Resources Center is excited to fund a new early-career researcher in 2022.

Dr. Hamdi Zurqani is studying current and historic drought conditions in Arkansas. Zurqani’s project’s title is “Drought Patterns and Trends in Arkansas, USA, from 1985 to 2021”. Zurqani and his co-investigator, Dr. Don White Jr., are with the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. 

Droughts can reduce plant growth, including agricultural crops. A changing climate can influence the occurrence of droughts. This project is looking at trends in doughts across Arkansas. Dr. Zurqani’s research uses data collected from 1985-2021. Zurqani is using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Google Earth Engine (GEE), both geospatial computing platforms. 

Zurqani used satellite data to track the changes in drought conditions over time. Every region in Arkansas has different climactic factors and vegetation cover. So, using wide scale technology to provide data for all regions of the state is beneficial. 

“GEE is a powerful tool that allows users to explore, analyze, and track Earth’s geographical data,” said Zurqani. “[GEE] has changed the way scientists and researchers access and study Earth’s imagery”  

The results will inform policy makers and managers on drought trends in Arkansas. The datasets from this research project will be available to the public.  

Zurqani plans to use this research project to benefit his students. Graduate student Shadia Alzurqani assisted Zurqani on the research project. Alzurqani is majoring in Forest Resources at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. 

The U.S. Geological Survey 104(b) program funded this research through the Arkansas Water Resources Center.