Drought Bulletin September 2023
Even September has been a record-breaking month on a global scale, ranking as the hottest, with a +0.93°C deviation from the 1991-2020 average. In Europe, it was even 2.51°C warmer than the norm. Sea surface temperatures were also exceptional, making this September the second warmest of all months, just after August 2023. Concerning rainfall, this […]
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 […]
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 […]
