a year.. Due to Orographic influence rainfall decreases as one proceeds from the western part of the district to the eastern part.
Studies undertaken under CAFNET project (http://www.ifpindia.org/Managing-Biodiversity-inMountain-Landscapes.html)) was able to gather, produce maps and analyse daily rainfall data recorded by 80 farmers over last 70 years . The analysis indicates that there is a very strong annual rainfall gradient in less than 50 km in the Kaveri watershed. Annual rainfall decreases very rapidly from the Evergreen Western zone (Zone 1), very wet with 5000-4000 mm/year to the West-Central Zone (Zone 2) with 4000-3000 mm/year to the East-Central Zone (Zone 3) with 3000-2000 mm/year and to the drier zone, the Moist Deciduous Eastern zone (Zone 4) with 20001200 mm/year (Fig 2).
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The analysis also shows that there is a strong fluctuation of annual rainfall with an apparent cycle of 12-14 years in all the four zones . When the monsoon is very strong, all 4 zones have heavy rainfall like in the years 1982, 1994 & 2008. When the monsoon is weaker, all 4 zones have lower rainfall like in the years 1986 & 2002. From this apparent cycle, it can be predicted that the rainfall is likely to be lower in the coming years to a very low level in 2014 to 2016. Analysis also