DrIVER - Drought Impacts: Vulnerability and Early-warning Research

Drought events pose a threat to water security in virtually every climate zone and to every water use sector. Although little can be done to prevent a drought, actions can be taken to reduce the vulnerability of society, including the development of drought monitoring and early warning (M&EW) systems. There have been few attempts to assess how relevant widely-used physical indicators are for capturing drought severity, effects and impacts, and such impacts have not been adequately incorporated into existing drought M&EW systems. This project seeks to fill this gap by improving the link between hydro-meteorological drought characterisation and environmental and socio-economic impacts. The main objectives are: (1) to compare and evaluate reported drought impacts and physical drought indicators across different geographical settings and governance systems, primarily in the USA, Europe and Australia where drought M&EW systems exist, (2) to identify and compare thresholds of drought indicators that define the vulnerability of society, ecosystem services and economy, (3) to engage, through a series of strategy-game workshops, into social learning in order to explore the framings, decision-making and practices relating to drought across a range of stakeholders, and explore conflicts and trade-offs, (4) to develop pathways to drought resilience through the improvement of targeted drought M&EW systems, drought management and training. An innovative methodological approach will combine the use of hydro-meteorological and socio-economic data, including impact reports, alongside social learning approaches designed to incorporate stakeholders’ views and experiences of drought. The project helps to move towards an improved water management before, during, and after drought events transferable to the global level.

contact person: Stahl, Dr. Kerstin
Phone: +49(0)761 203 3532
Email: Kerstin.Stahl@hydrology.uni-freiburg.de

Start of project: 01.11.2013
End of project: 30.06.2017

Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg
Stahl K
Professur für Hydrologie

Friedrichstrasse 39
79098 Freiburg i. Br.
Germany

Phone: +49(0)761-203-3530
Fax: +49(0)761-203-3994
Email: hydrology@hydrology.uni-freiburg.de
http://www.hydro.uni-freiburg.de
Actual Research Report

• Bachmair S
• Tijdemann E

• Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG

Trockenheit, Wasserverfügbarkeit, Klimaänderung, Trockenheitsindikatoren, Auswirkungen von Trockenheit, Verwundbarkeit, Frühwarnsystem, Wassermanagement, Ökosystemdienstleistungen, Trockenheitsresilienz, Stakeholder-Beteiligung, Strategiespiele, Nutzerkonflikte Drought, water availability, climate change, drought indices, drought impacts, vulnerability, early-warning system, water management, ecosystem services, drought resilience, stakeholder participation, strategy games, user conflicts