DROUGHT R&SPI

Fostering European Drought Research and Science-Policy Interfacing

Fostering European Drought Research and Science-Policy Interfacing (DROUGHT-R&SPI) was a research project within the 7. European Framework Programme under the theme category: Vulnerability and increased drought risk in Europe.

Read the DROUGHT-R&SPI flyer

Background

Drought is a natural hazard increasingly hitting Europe. There is an urgent need to improve drought preparedness. Important are increased knowledge about past and potential future droughts, possible drought management plans, and exchange of experiences across various European countries. Also an improved science-policy interfacing is needed to reduce vulnerability to future drought and the risks they pose for Europe.

Project Objectives

Drought-R&SPI delivered:

enhanced knowledge of past droughts
understanding of environmental and socio-economic impacts at a small scale in water-stressed regions (case studies) and considering the large-scale drivers;
past responses to drought events at the case study scale, and identify best practice examples;
suite of drought indicators;
early warning systems;
drought dialogue fora (DDF's);
drought hazard and potential vulnerabilities;