With the European Drought Risk Atlas published on Wednesday 11 October and the European Drought Impact Database (not yet available to the public), the European Commission aims to provide EU countries with tools to predict and manage risks in the event of drought and water shortages at European, national and local levels, across all the sectors affected. These two forecasting tools will be integrated into Copernicus.
The Atlas uses an innovative approach to address the complex characteristics of the hazards, risks and impacts of drought. The Commission’s Joint Research Centre and EDORA (European Drought Observatory for Resilience and Adaptation) partners have used expert knowledge and machine learning techniques to assess the risks for various sectors and systems within the EU under current conditions and projected climate scenarios of +1.5°C, +2°C, +3°C above the pre-industrial period.
According to projections, public water supplies could be at risk in several regions of Europe. Yields of certain crops could fall significantly. In the energy sector, falling water levels in rivers would make it more difficult to cool nuclear power stations, while drought would considerably affect hydroelectric power generation in some parts of Europe. Pressure on inland navigation is likely to remain high and even increase in some regions.
To consult the Atlas, go to https://aeur.eu/f/90w (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)