Geospatial Analysis of NDVI-Rainfall Dynamics under High ENSO Influence in Peninsular Malaysia

Authors

  • Zulfaqar Saadi Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
  • Nor Eliza Alias Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
  • Zulkifli Yusop Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
  • Lelavathy Samikan Mazilamani Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
  • Mohamad Rajab Houmsi Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
  • Lama Nasrallah Houmsi Aleppo University
  • Shamsuddin Shahid Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
  • Azmi Aris Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
  • Muhammad Wafiy Adli Ramli Universiti Sains Malaysia
  • Najeebullah Khan Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
  • Prabhakar Shukla Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi
  • Zainura Zainon Noor Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11113/jagst.v5n1.103

Keywords:

CMORPH, ENSO, Geographically Weighted Regression, NDVI, Peninsular Malaysia, Rainfall

Abstract

Malaysia (PM) rainfall varies significantly due to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), making it an important region to study the relationship between NDVI and rainfall. These connections are complex, spatially non-linear, non-stationary, and scale-dependent, challenging conventional regression models. To address this, a local modelling approach, Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) was employed, accommodating spatial variability in relationships. This study utilizes the CMORPH gridded dataset to explore the NDVI-rainfall relationship in PM during very strong El Niño events of 2015/2016, as well as strong La Niña events of 2010/2011. During the El Niño 2015/16 event, the Gaussian weighting function achieved an AIC of 398.48 and a quasi-global R² of 0.63, outperforming the Bisquare function's AIC of 434.12 and quasi-global R² of 0.48. In the La Niña 2010/11 event, the Bisquare function excelled with an AIC of 442.01 and a quasi-global R² of 0.52, while the Gaussian recorded an AIC of 505.69 and a quasi-global R² of 0.10. The median local R² for El Niño (0.6 to 0.8) was higher than that for La Niña (some areas dropping below 0.4), highlighting the GWR model's superior performance in capturing spatial variation. In terms of predictive power, the metrics demonstrate superior model performance during El Niño, with a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 0.5, a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 0.66, an R² value of 0.63 indicating significant variance explained, and Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) and Kling-Gupta Efficiency (KGE) both at 0.63 and 0.6, respectively.

Author Biographies

Nor Eliza Alias, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Senior Lecturer at the Department of Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Zulkifli Yusop, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Professor in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Lelavathy Samikan Mazilamani, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

PhD graduate in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Mohamad Rajab Houmsi, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Postdoctoral researcher in the Center for River and Coastal Engineering (CRCE), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Lama Nasrallah Houmsi, Aleppo University

Postdoctoral researcher in the Finance and Banking Department, College of Economics, Aleppo University

Shamsuddin Shahid, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Professor in the Department of Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Azmi Aris, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Director in the Research Institute for Sustainable Environment, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Muhammad Wafiy Adli Ramli, Universiti Sains Malaysia

Senior Lecturer in the Geography Section, School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia

Najeebullah Khan, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Prabhakar Shukla, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi

Researcher at the Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi

Zainura Zainon Noor, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Director at the Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Water Security, Research Institute for Sustainable Environment, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

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Published

2025-03-28

How to Cite

Saadi, Z., Alias, N. E., Yusop, Z., Samikan Mazilamani, L., Houmsi, M. R., Houmsi, L. N., … Zainon Noor, Z. (2025). Geospatial Analysis of NDVI-Rainfall Dynamics under High ENSO Influence in Peninsular Malaysia. Journal of Advanced Geospatial Science & Technology, 5(1), 1–33. https://doi.org/10.11113/jagst.v5n1.103