Drought Bulletin July 2023
On a global scale, July 2023 has proven to be the warmest month on record. Extreme events have also characterized this month. Intense heatwaves have affected the northern hemisphere, causing environmental damage (fires have devastated various areas, from Canada to the Mediterranean, particularly in Algeria, Greece, Italy, and Spain) and impacting human health. Considering monthly […]
Drought Bulletin June 2023
In June, the long-lasting drought (24 months) at the European level continues to hold its grip, especially over the western Mediterranean areas and the east. Meanwhile, Scandinavia, particularly Sweden, is grappling with a significant rainfall deficit in the last 3 months, April to June, affecting over half of the territory. In Italy, the rains of […]
Water and Society: the Emerging Field of Socio-Hydrology
What is Socio-hydrology? The impact of both natural and human interventions on hydrological systems, including inter-basin water transfers, droughts, and agricultural water usage, is crucial. However, these interventions profoundly affect ecosystems and impact human populations’ water needs and demands. Socio-hydrology is an interdisciplinary field at the nexus of social and hydrological sciences, that is gaining […]
FAO-IRI Joint Event: Empowering Innovation for Drought and Agriculture
In the face of escalating climate change impacts and the growing consequences of drought, it is imperative to develop adaptive and mitigative measures across all facets of agrifood systems. Research and technological innovation are indispensable tools to avert economic and social crises and foster sustainability. Efforts must be concentrated on comprehensive actions that encompass policy […]
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 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 […]
