This multi-disciplinary research project has provided new evidence on the effect and impacts of droughts in the UK upon people and the environment. Social scientists have assessed how the impacts and risks of droughts and water scarcity are currently understood and managed by key stakeholders, and how this is shaped by institutions, regulation and markets. Physical scientists have taken a systems approach to understand the impact and ramification of drought though natural processes, from climatic aspects of drought and the derivation of a synthetic ‘drought event library’; hydrological responses both on a catchment and national scale; effects on water quality including nutrient concentration in rivers and algal concentrations in reservoirs, and effect of land use change; the ramifications on water resources on the Thames catchment and also nationally. It includes the impact on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; agriculture and farming; the economy; and on electricity production.
POC – Jim Hall