International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

author(s)
Aaditi Baghmar, Manjeet Singh, PK Singh and KK Yadav

abstract
Vegetation plays a pivotal role in modulating climate systems, particularly influencing local and regional rainfall patterns through biophysical and biogeochemical processes. The interaction between vegetative cover and rainfall is governed by complex feedback mechanisms involving evapotranspiration, surface albedo, energy fluxes, and atmospheric moisture recycling. This review synthesizes the current understanding of how vegetation affects rainfall dynamics, with a specific focus on methodologies used for detecting and analyzing these relationships. Tools such as remote sensing-especially vegetation indices like the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)-alongside satellite and ground-based rainfall datasets, provide robust means for monitoring and evaluating vegetation-rainfall interactions. Statistical approaches including correlation analysis, Mann-Kendall trend tests, and spatio-temporal overlays are frequently applied to detect trends and relationships. The review also explores key factors influencing this relationship, such as irrigation practices, soil type, topography, groundwater availability, and climatic oscillations like ENSO, which can either amplify or suppress vegetative response to rainfall. In arid and semi-arid regions, including parts of Western Rajasthan, these interactions are particularly critical, where vegetation not only responds to rainfall variability but can also alter local microclimates and precipitation regimes. Findings suggest that sustainable vegetation management can potentially enhance regional rainfall through improved land-atmosphere coupling. The paper concludes with recommendations for integrated land use planning and identifies future research needs, including the development of high-resolution models and long-term observational networks to better understand and predict vegetation-rainfall feedbacks under changing climate scenarios.