Drought is a natural hazard that has hit Europe hard over the last decades. Likely it will become more frequent and more severe due to the increased likelihood of warmer northern winters and hotter Mediterranean summers. There is an urgent need to improve drought preparedness through increased knowledge, drought management plans and an improved science-policy interfacing that will reduce vulnerability to future droughts and the risks they pose for Europe.

DROUGHT-R&SPI enhance the understanding of drought:

(i) as a natural hazard (climate drivers, drought processes and occurrences);

(ii) environmental and socio-economic impacts of droughts;

(iii) vulnerabilities, risks and policy responses.

DROUGHT-R&SPI used a transdisciplinary approach that combines drought investigations in six case study areas with drought analyses at the pan-European scale. The project  addressed the past and future climate, link science and science policy dialogue across scales and across a range of affected sectors. An innovative methodology for early drought warning at the pan-European scale was developed, as well as a suite of interlinked physical and impact indicators.

In particular, CEABN assess the impacts of major drought events on wildfires, landscape dynamics, forest changes, and biodiversity, and increase the knowledge of the linkages between drought and wildfires across scales, including results dissemination and stakeholder engagement and participation.

The DROUGHT-R&SPI project started in October 2011 and it lasted 3 years.