On 20 February 2024, the Joint Research centre (JRC) of the European Commission, in its latest report “Drought in the Mediterranean Region – January 2024”, raised alarm over drought in the Mediterranean region. Although these events have impacted the Old Continent over the last two years, the long-lasting record-high temperatures reported in the region and their impact on agriculture, ecosystems, drinking water availability and energy production have raised concern in Europe, as well as increasing the risk of wildfires due to reduced soil moisture.
In the midst of winter, a few months after the beginning of 2024, long-lasting above-average temperatures and rain deficit have been reported by the European Drought Observatory (EDO) managed by the JRC. Even short-term seasonal forecasts do not bode well as Spring 2024 is expected to be warmer than average compared to long-term records.
The analysis, conducted by the researchers, shows that the hottest periods between September and December 2023 led to above-average temperatures, with the beginning of the year having been recently declared as the warmest January on record.
In Italy, this persistent drought especially impacts the water reservoirs in Sicily that are currently below the alert level, so much that water rationing may be necessary to guarantee minimal services. In Sardinia water reservoirs were estimated to hold less than 50% of their capacity in December 2023.
The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted that heatwaves and droughts will become more frequent and severe in the coming decades in the Mediterranean basin, with a severe reduction in rainfalls. In this setting, the JRC report highlights the importance of immediately applying climate mitigation and water management strategies in order to minimize the effects of drought. Investments in drought early warning systems, increasing the water efficiency of existing and new technologies, changing to more drought resistant crops and improving access to water resources are crucial for improving community preparedness and resilience. To this end, the JRC and European Drought Observatory for Resilience and Adaptation (EDORA) partners have collaborated on the development of the first European Drought Risk Atlas, aimed at assessing drought risk using innovative technologies.
However, drought management will remain a complex issue and a pragmatic approach to crisis management and adaptation planning will require constant observation of the impact on soil, vegetation, water resources and communities in a more general sense. The “Drought in the Mediterranean Region – January 2024” report is available here.
