IDMP guidelines for preparation of the Drought Management Plans

Elena Fatulova (GWP CEE) Kosovo, 12 November 2014

What is drought?

• Drought is understood as „lack of water“ • Two terms should be distinguished according to

their causes: o Water scarcity - Water scarcity is a man-made phenomenon. It is a

recurrent imbalance that arises from an overuse of water resources, caused by consumption being significantly higher than the natural renewable availability. Water scarcity can be aggravated by water pollution (reducing the suitability for different water uses), and during drought episodes

o Drought - Drought is a natural phenomenon. It is a temporary,

negative and severe deviation along a significant time period and over a large region from average precipitation values (a rainfall deficit), which might lead to meteorological, agricultural, hydrological and socioeconomic

drought, depending on its severity and duration

Legal Framework – planning documents

WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE – legal framework for water scarcity and drought issues:

• RBMPs – water scarcity issues (groundwater quantitative status, surface water ecological status) - legally binding document!

• Drought management plan (DMP) – drought issues -additional planning document when drought issues are relevant (drought assessment and mitigation measures) – not legally binding document!

Guidelines - Drought management approach

• A reactive approach based on crisis management - measures and actions after a drought event occurred

A proactive approach based on drought risk reduction management – preventive and mitigating measures designed in advance in the Drought Management plan

Main steps for drought risk management

Step 1: Develop a drought policy and establish a Drought management Committee Step 2: Define the objectives of a drought risk-based management policy Step 3: Inventory of data needed for DMP development Step 4: Produce/update the DMP Step 5: Publicize the DMP to the public for comments and active involvement Step 6: Develop a research and science programme Step 7: Develop an educational programme

Step 1 – Drought policy...

• identification of the competent authority

• recognition of drought as a relevant issue by competent authority and Government

• development of a risk-based national drought management policy

• adoption of the legal regulation for drought issues

• establishment of the National Drought Committee with governmental mandate

Step 2 – objectives of drought management

• guarantee water availability in sufficient quantities to meet essential human needs to ensure population’s health and life during all drought stages

• avoid or minimize negative drought impacts on the status of water bodies, especially on ecological flows and quantitative status of groundwater

• minimize negative effects on economic activities, according to the priority given to water uses

Step 3 – data inventory

Process: • determination of the data needs for DMP • analysing of existing data and data availability • identification of data gaps and obstacles of data

availability

Step 3 – Data inventory

Data packages: • meteorological data - temperature, precipitation, snow reserve • hydrological data - stream flow, reservoir volume, reservoir

outflows, spring yield, groundwater level • agricultural data - soil moisture deficit • data on environmental impacts – mortality of fish species, impacts

on wetlands, Natura 2000 sites, loss of biodiversity, forest fires risk • socio-economic data - impacts of drought on households, industry,

energy production, transportation, recreation, tourism and other water use sector

• drinking water supply data – water demand, water availability, existing water infrastructure, water shortages

Step 4 – Development of DMP

Content of DMP: • drought characterization based on historical drought events • indicators and thresholds for classification of drought stages

and drought early warning system implementation • program of measures for preventing and mitigating droughts

linked to indicators systems • organizational structure of the DMP • update and follow-up of the DMP • water supply specific plans • prolonged drought in line with Article 4.6 of WFD

Main elements of DMP - indicators

• Drought indicators (EU indicators):

o FAPAR (fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation)

o H (groundwater level)

o SSPI (standardized snowpack index)

o Soil moisture

o SPI (standardized precipitation index)

o SRI (standardized runoff index)

o WEI + (water exploitation index plus)

Main elements of DMP - thresholds

• Thresholds for drought stages:

o Normal status – no significant deviation in relation to average values is observed

o Pre-alert status – is declared when monitoring shows the initial stage of drought development

o Alert status – is declared when monitoring shows that drought is occurring and will probably have impacts in the future if measures are not taken immediately

o Emergency status – is declared when drought indicators show that impacts occurred and water supply is not guaranteed

Thresholds – Precipitation – Slovak proposal

Thresholds - River flow – Slovak proposal

1. quantile (120 to 80 % of Qmes61-2000 - normal status of water bearing)

2. quantile (80 to 40 % of Qmes61-2000 – subnormal status of water bearing)

3. quantile (less than 40 % of Qmes61-2000- critical value of water bearing status

Thresholds – groundwater level – Slovak proposal

• Fig. 2 Groundwater monitoring point No. 10, hydrological year 2012

Thresholds – soil water balance – Slovak proposal

Drought degree Extreme

drought

Severe drought Moderate

drought

Normal drought

Probability interval

[%] ≤ 2% 2.1% to 10% 10.1% to 25% 25.1% to 50%

ASWI interval [–] ≤ –1.8 –1.8 to –1.151 –1.15 to –0.721 -0.72 to 0

Drought degree Extreme

drought

Very severe

drought

Severe drought Normal drought

Probability interval

[%] ≤ 2% 2% to 10% 10.1% to 25% 25.1% to 50%

ASWICUM interval

[–] ≤ –300 –299 to –200 –199 to –100 -99 to 0

Available soil water index

Cumulative available soil water index

DMP element – early warning system

Early warning system - timely information (warnings) about actual drought status in real time for decision makers for activation of operational measures: • short-term warnings (1-7 d) • medium-term warnings (10-15d) • seasonal forecasting (3 - 6 months)

Main DMP elements – measures

Programme of measures:

• preventive or strategic measures – normal stage

• operational measures – pre-alert, alert, emergency stages

• organizational measures – all stages

• follow-up measures – effectiveness of mitigation measures

• restoration measures – deactivation of operation measures

Main element – organizational framework

Establishment of organizational structure : • Competent authority • Drought Committee

o governing level – key resorts (ministries) o professional level – professional institutions o stakeholders - interested groups affected by drought

The main tasks of Drought Committee: • design of DMP • implementation of the DMP • review/update of DMP (e.g. every six years)

Drought Committee – example from Slovakia

Step 5, 6, 7 of drought management • Step 5 – public participation and active involvement

of the interested parties in DMP implementation: • publishing of DMP for public • making DMP available for comments • consultation aimed at active involvement of the interested

parties

• Step 6 - Scientific and research programme – connected with identification of gaps and uncertainties related issues (e.g. climatic change)

• Step 7 - Educational programmes – trainings, workshops for decision makers, farmers...

Contact: Elena Fatulova, GWP CEE elena.fatulova@gmail.com

Thank you for your attention