[Objective] To explore the response characteristics of precipitation change in the Shaanxi

Gansu

Ningxia and Inner Mongolia bordering area under global warming in order to provide scientific theoretical basis for the sustainable development of natural ecosystem and social economy in this area.[Methods] Precipitation data was collected from 40 national meteorological stations during the period from 1961 to 2015. The spatial-temporal variation of precipitation in the past 54 years was analyzed

using linear trend estimation

Mann-Kendall mutation test and ordinary Kriging interpolation mathematical analysis methods.[Results] ① With the global warming

the precipitation decreased in the study areas during the past 54 years. ② Spatially

the annual precipitation reduced roughly from the southeast to northwest

and the tendency rate showed a decreasing trend initially and then increased from the southeast to northwest. ③ The changes in precipitation anomaly showed that the precipitation increased in spring

summer and winter

but reduced in autumn

and the rate of precipitation change ranked as:winter > spring > autumn > summer. The spatial differences of precipitation in four different seasons were obvious

which reduced gradually from the southeast to northwest.[Conclusion] A warm-drying trend is expected in the Northern Shaanxi

Gansu

Ningxia and Inner Mongolia contiguous area

and it is obvious in four different seaons. Further studies are needed to confirm whether the climate will transferred from the warm-dry to warm-wet since the precipitation in the region has shown an obvious increasing trend since 2000.