Euro-Mediterranean Information System on know-how in the Water sector - Background documents

New Stakeholder Forum on Water Scarcity and Droughts

2010-11-04T09:54:28Z

Drought and Water Scarcity: discussion in the frame of EU Initiatives

2010-10-29T06:48:15Z

In the context of HYDROCARE actions a debate is promoted about the above mentioned issues starting from a screening of some, both closed and running, relevant structural and research projects. The workshop held in Athens (Greece) last 19th January 2007 consisted in a first part dedicated to a brief description of the main themes concerning drought and water scarcity treated in each project. A discussion about the priorities for the new EU programming period is foreseen at the end of the presentations, focused on the main gaps still existing in research and operational approach to drought and water scarcity. See the programme.

FAO document on water scarcity and agricultural biotechnologies

2010-10-31T00:13:16Z

Water Scarcity and Drought, 1st Interim report, November 2006

2008-09-02T18:05:52Z

Coping with Water Scarcity: A strategic issue and priority for system-wide action

2008-09-02T18:05:52Z

Water scarcity is a relative concept and can occur at any level of supply or demand. Scarcity may be a social construct (a product of affluence, expectations and customary behaviour) or the consequence of altered supply patterns stemming from climate change. Scarcity has various causes, most of which are capable of being remedied or alleviated. A society facing water scarcity usually has options. However, scarcity often has its roots in water shortage, and it is in the arid and semiarid regions affected by droughts and wide climate variability, combined with population growth and economic development, that the problems of water scarcity are most acute.

Evolution du climat et Sécheresse en Méditerranée

2010-11-02T11:16:05Z

Article mettant en perspective le changement climatique et état de sécheresse dans le bassin Méditerranéen.

Liste des arrétés préfectoraux - France

2010-10-30T14:45:00Z

Arrétés préfectoraux en cas de sécheresse afin de limiter les usages en eau, l'exemple français.

Institutions, et organismes de lutte contre la désertification

2010-10-30T07:03:23Z

Liste de sites regroupant divers organisations luttant et organisant la gestion des phénomènes de désertifications et de sécheresses.

Inventaire des Sécheresse dans le Monde

2010-10-28T22:12:18Z

Développer l'agriculture et le pays, en dépit du manque d'eau, le rôle des bio-technologies

2010-10-28T21:48:11Z

L'agriculture assèche le pourtour du bassin Méditerranéen

2008-09-02T18:05:52Z

Communiqué de presse du WWF - Paris le 13 juillet 2006.

Publications related to water scarcity

2008-09-02T18:05:52Z

(unesco-waterportal-en)

Links about Water Scarcity

2008-09-02T18:05:52Z

(unesco-waterportal-en)

Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction Bulletin

2010-10-29T05:52:24Z

Model-based scenarios of Mediterranean droughts

2008-09-02T18:05:52Z

This study examines the change in current 100-year hydrological drought frequencies in the Mediterranean in comparison to the 2070s as simulated by the global model WaterGAP. The analysis considers socio-economic and climate changes as indicated by the IPCC scenarios A2 and B2 and the global general circulation model ECHAM4. Under these conditions today's 100-year drought is estimated to occur 10 times more frequently in the future over a large part of the Northern Mediterranean while in North Africa, today's 100-year drought will occur less frequently. Water abstractions are shown to play a minor role in comparison to the impact of climate change, but can intensify the situation.

This study will, explicitly for the Mediterranean Region, examine whether the upward trend of droughts (IPCC, 2001), as described above, is likely to continue in the future, examining drought frequency as the main indicator. It will investigate the impacts of global change, including climate and socio-economic changes on future hydrological drought frequencies using two of the IPCC global emission scenarios, A2 and B2 (IPCC, 2000). These emission scenarios were constructed to explore future global developments of society and environment. Scenario A2 assumes a strong, but regionally oriented economic growth and fragmented technological change with an emphasis on human wealth, while B2 emphasizes the protection of the environment and social equity, but also relies on local solutions to economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Both scenarios represent a world in which the differences between developed and developing countries remain strong.

It is shown that climate change has a comparably stronger impact on the change in drought frequency than anthropogenic water uses. Water abstractions can, however, intensify drought conditions. On the other hand, this kind of drought analysis reaches its limits in a dry climate, as drought frequencies cannot increase in deserts and in these areas flows are too low to assume statistical significance of the changes.