Drought is a growing phenomenon, both in frequency and intensity, in various areas of the world due to climate change. Its impacts affect various domains, from the health of ecosystems to socio-economic sectors tied to our activities (river navigation, energy production, agriculture, etc.). Understanding the dynamics through which drought develops and progresses, considering anthropogenic water resource usage, and predicting its impacts are the overarching goals of our Drought domain, which aims to develop preventive, mitigative, and adaptive measures based on these insights.
Department activities
Four main strands of activity characterize the domain. The first involves analyzing drought risk in different geographical contexts, developing a range of approaches to characterize the complex network of interconnections between hazard, exposure, and vulnerability of the communities or socio-economic sectors under consideration. This is coupled with the development of prediction, monitoring, and early warning models to increasingly accurately describe the processes and impacts of drought. These models rely on the integration of meteorological, hydrological, and satellite data and the development of indicator sets and metrics tailored to the type of process or impact being analyzed. Also, in terms of more distinctly scientific and technological activities, the domain collects and analyzes impact data on different socio-economic systems to enhance the understanding of drought risk and identify mitigation solutions and governance and water resource management strategies. Finally, domain activities also aim to engage stakeholders (at local, national, and regional levels), international organizations, and other key actors to develop integrated and systemic solutions to address drought risk in the context of climate change adaptation and sustainable development.
