Xerochore

XEROCHORE is an Exercise to Assess Research Needs and Policy Choices in Areas of Drought founded by European Commission under the FP7-Theme 6, Environment (Including Climate Change), and it is aimed at assisting in the development of a European Drought Policy in accordance with the EU-Water Framework Directive (EU-WFD.

Background and objectives

In recent years large parts of Europe suffered from extreme drought, a phenomenon that may become more frequent and more severe as a consequence of climate change. If not addressed properly, the socio-economic and environmental impacts of droughts will be huge.

To inform European Drought and Climate Adaptation policies, the Xerochore assesses the existing knowledge about the physical causes, intensity, spatial and temporal patterns of droughts, and their social, environmental and economic impacts. Furthermore, it develops a catalogue of demand-and supply-side policies to manage droughts.

To this end a series of expert workshops, roundtable discussions and stakeholders consultation will be organised. A Core Group will synthesise the collected knowledge and produce Guidance Documents for drought management.

The Xerochore SA objectives are:

  • To synthesize knowledge on past, current and future drought events;
  • To compile a roadmap that provides a short to long term vision on research needs and steps forward towards supporting the implementation of drought management plans;
  • To provide information on possible impacts of droughts and guidance for stakeholders in the area of planning, implementation and scenarios;
  • To further extend and develop the drought network established as part of the European Drought Centre (EDC) to assess the international (inside and outside of Europe) state of the art in research related to droughts;
  • To link up with non-EU experts (through network partners and members of the External Advisory Board) to ensure that the synthesis, roadmap and guidance to stakeholders includes background from other leading continents (e.g. USA, Canada, Australia) and to encourage them to become member of the extended EDC;
  • To initiate a long lasting platform beyond this project through the network that communicates drought related research and policy making within the research community, water managers, policy makers and the wider public.

Organization of work

The Xerochore SA is based on the involvement of 11 Partners (Core Partners) and a wider group of already identified partners as Network Partners (contributing to the review and synthesis). Also being open to more experts on a voluntary basis, the area addressed benefits from broadening the information collection as much as possible, by keeping the effort for coordinating the synthesis development in reasonable limits. The Xerochore SA is related to five main areas corresponding to 5 work packages (WP1-5), addressing sectoral key topics for the final synthesis. A sixth work package deals with the management of the SA (WP6). The five main areas (work packages) to be covered are:

  1. WP1: Natural system (climate and hydrology), including physical causes, spatial and temporal development of historic droughts, anthropogenic influences, incl also impact of climate change on drought, development of basic elements for early warning systems, forecasting of drought;
  1. WP2: Economic and social impacts of droughts and of research actions taken to mitigate and to adapt to the effects of droughts, incl. providing guidance for stakeholders;
  1. WP3: Environmental impacts of droughts and of research actions taken to mitigate and to adapt to the effects of droughts, incl. providing guidance for stakeholders;
  1. WP4: An appraisal of existing drought-associated policies and the research needs to develop an EU drought policy (Pan-European scale);
  1. WP5: Implications of drought policies for integrated water management at the regional and national level.

The outcome of the WP's 1-3 provide then a possibility to integrate drought management both to its drivers (causes) and impacts as well as to possible consequences of drought management (WP5). The link of the drought management to WP4 (Drought policy) is dual, first to impose urgent fields of action in policy making, but considering at the same time constraints and restrictions as discussed under WP5.

Partners

The XEROCHORE Support Action are implemented by a Consortium of 11 Core Partners. The Consortium composition ensures interdisciplinary and multiplicity of skills in order to allow the achievement of the multifaceted project objectives and ensure a successful implementation of the outreach strategy by reaching all the different target groups addressed by the project activities. The project network consists of over 80 organizations including research institutes, universities, ministries, water management organizations, stakeholders, consultants, international organizations and programmes. The XEROCHORE Consortium, experienced in the different fields that lead toward a European Drought Policy, is well balanced as four main different partner types are represented:

International Recognised Research Centres (FEEM, WMC, NERC, CEMACREF, JRC): The involved International Research Centres contribute to long-term interactions with national and international meteorological services and will support the XEROCHORE roadmap on applied projects and consulting. These research centres enable sufficient consideration of practical needs and requirements for private sector markets, within the roadmap towards EU drought policy.

Academic Institutions (WU, UiO, NTUA): The involvement of these type of institutions together with similar Network Partners will ensure that the very first outcome of ongoing international academic research on different drought issues that is carried out by PhD students and postdocs (e.g. Aquastress, WATCH) will be integrated in the round table discussions that eventually will lead to the XEROCHORE roadmap for future research.

National Authorities (MATTM, MMA): The involved National Authorities contribute to the XEROCHORE project by interactions with national and international hydrometeorological services and will support the roadmap in consideration of institutional links and requirements from national authorities and governmental organisations.

International Organisation (JRC, IUCN): The involvement of International Organisations contributes to the embedding of international NGO's and support to policy making at EU and international level in consideration of environmental aspects and sustainable development.

Events
  • Xerochore First Workshop on
  • Drought and Natural System (Climate and Hydrology),
  • Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, 15–17 June 2009.
  • Xerochore Second Workshop on
  • Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts of Droughts,
  • Venice, 5–7 October 2009.
  • Xerochore Final Conference on
  • Supporting Drought Policies in Europe,
  • Brussels, 23–24 February 2010.
  • Participation is limited to space availability.
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References
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