Variability and Trends of Actual Evapotranspiration over West Africa: The Role of Environmental Drivers.

• Spatial and temporal ET dynamics are evaluated using GLEAM, PML MTE products The environmental drivers of variability in the semi-arid Sahel identified Global consistent with measured water-limited zones Results show significant rising trend high Western Wavelet coherence results confirm strong coupling between rainfall This paper evaluates atmospheric controls contributing to actual evapotranspiration (ET) trends across ecological data-scarce region West Africa. were analysed three selected prognostic- machine learning-based global over 1983 2012. In addition, responses annual changes rainfall, evaporative demand (AED) incident solar radiation joint time-frequency wavelet decomposition method pixel-wise partial correlation analysis. Based on Mann-Kendall statistics, from Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model (GLEAM) data revealed (> 70 mm yr ?1 ) 5 Sahel. contrast, CSIRO Penman-Monteith Leuning (PML) showed declining by more than 4 some parts Savannah zone during study period. also similarities ET, AED, particularly along Sahelian belt domain. implies that these variables largely explain signals variations zones. However, have different modulating powers region. Additionally, we find other non-climatic factors may influenced could serve as a pointer focusing drivers, potentially affecting area. Therefore, highlights importance providing essential robust information affected its potential impacts water resources, where agricultural biomes often threatened stress drought.