Drought Bulletin May 2023
In late May, the long-lasting drought across Europe continues to tighten its grip, particularly in the western Mediterranean and eastern regions. Persistent drought has plagued various parts of southwestern Europe for almost two years, despite May’s rainfall (in some cases even flooding), which has reduced the accumulated deficits in the short and medium term. In […]
Landmark WMO Appointments
During the 19th meeting of the World Meteorological Congress, Cg-19, the international community witnessed a landmark moment for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Among the elected officials were Prof Celeste Saulo, who made history as the first female Secretary-General of WMO, and Dr Al Mandous, who assumed the position of President. The appointment of Prof […]
Drought Bulletin April 2023
The situation in Europe at the end of April still shows a significant portion of the eastern territories affected by long-term rainfall deficits, but a significant problem emerges in the western regions, particularly in Spain, where approximately 38% of the territory is affected by a prolonged drought caused not only by low precipitation but also […]
Drought Bulletin March 2023
In March, the countries of southwestern and eastern Europe continue to be the most affected by the drought that has now lasted for almost 2 years. According to international definitions related to duration and type of impacts, this drought can be indicated as hydrological and socio-economic. In Italy, the large lakes in the first decade […]
Slapis Sahel: a new project to cope with flood risk
Since the 2000s, Niger and Burkina Faso have been increasingly affected by floods, with a peak in 2020 that affected more than one hundred thousand people in Burkina Faso and over six hundred thousand in Niger. Hence, the Sahelian governments have recognized the urgent need to implement early warning systems to help riverine communities cope […]
Are We Endangering Our Future? A Look at the IPCC AR6 Synthesis Report
What is the sixth assessment report of IPCC? The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a consortium of the world’s leading climate scientists, has released its sixth assessment report (AR6), which consists of four main sections. The final instalment of the report is the synthesis report, which serves as a comprehensive review of global knowledge […]
World Water Day 2023
Today marks World Water Day 2023, a day of reflection and action on the critical importance of water in our lives. The theme for this year’s World Water Day is “Accelerating Change”, which emphasizes the need to solve the water and sanitation crisis. The dysfunction of the water cycle at any point can hinder progress […]
A composite index approach to support crop management in Italy
Farmers may experience variable interannual yields with associated agronomic and management costs, even if they are growing locally adapted crops. However, climate services can assist farmers in making the best decisions aimed at reducing the impacts of climate change, or in other words, managing the climate risk. The IBE-CNR has been involved in the development […]
Drought Observatory: Bulletin February 2023
The Drought Observatory Bulletin in brief In February, drought conditions are still intense in several European countries. In addition to the rainfall deficit, soil moisture anomalies at the end of the month affected not only the Po Valley and several regions of southern Italy but also vast areas of Spain, France, and even southern Great […]
Are climate information key to reducing drought and flood risks?
An interesting recently published article accurately analyzes how agroclimatic information can reduce the risks of droughts and floods in Niger. The title of the article is “Evaluation of the Impact of Seasonal Agroclimatic Information Used for Early Warning and Farmer Communities’ Vulnerability Reduction in Southwestern Niger.”, the authors Seydou, T.H.; Agali, A.; Aissatou, S.; Seydou, T.B.; […]
