Rainfall distribution and trends over the semi-arid Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India

Rainfall variability and water scarcity are the major issues in the semi-arid Marathwada region of Maharashtra. Analysis of seasonal and annual rainfall distribution and trends over the Marathwada is the main objective of the research. Therefore, district-wise monthly rainfall data of 8 districts for 121 years (1901–2021) in the Marathwada was employed, while coefficient of variation (CV), Mann–Kendall (MK), Sen’s slope estimator (SSE), innovative trend analysis (ITA), inverse distance weighted (IDW), and rainfall departure from the mean methods were used for analyses. The results showed that monsoon (22.7%) and annual (21.3%) rainfall variability is less than that of post-monsoon (59.9%), winter (110%), and pre-monsoon (67%) seasons. The MK and ITA result specified no significant trends (positive and negative) in monsoon, post-monsoon, and annual rainfall over the region. During the winter (Z =  − 1.65) and pre-monsoon (Z =  − 1.67) seasons, a significant decreasing trend in rainfall was observed for the Marathwada. However, negative changes (− 25.54% and − 30.81%) in the magnitude of winter and pre-monsoon rainfall were significant in the region. Annual rainfall 55% of the time was below the long-term annual average rainfall (776 mm) of Marathwada. The region experienced three extremely wet years (1916, 1983, and 2019) and two dry years (1920 and 1972). Although seasonal and annual rainfall variations, the monsoon and annual rainfall have not shown significant positive or negative trends over the Marathwada region during 1901–2021. Since Marathwada is vulnerable to water scarcity, this study could help policymakers associated with water resources and agriculture management.