Analysis of the relative air humidity variable in the Paraíba do Norte River hydrographic basin, in the state of Paraíba

Abstract

Conducting studies on relative humidity is essential for understanding the dynamics of municipalities, states, basins or regions of the country, facilitating the understanding of rainy and dry periods. These studies help in the development of effective land management strategies. Furthermore, they consider other relevant environmental variables in the formation of the climate of a given location. Similarly, relative humidity is a determining factor for the water quality of a location. Understanding how the phenomenon behaves allows us to determine whether an area is drier or wetter, directly influencing local environmental aspects. Thus, the main objective was to evaluate the variability of relative humidity in the Paraíba River Basin, in the State of Paraíba (BHRPB), through monthly and annual space-time analysis, in addition to correlating it with precipitation to compare and identify its oscillations in the rainy and dry periods. The meteorological data used in this study were made available by a joint project between the University of Texas (USA) and the Federal University of Espírito Santo (Brazil). The data are in the public domain and they are made available by the National Water and Sanitation Agency (ANA). The sample period covers the years 1980 to 2017, which were the data available. The analysis of the annual relative humidity in the BHRPB showed an average of 72% for the region, with variations in some periods between 50% and 90%, representing variations within the World Health Organization standards. There is a correlation between precipitation and relative humidity, that is, when the level of precipitation is high in each month, the relative humidity is also high.