Global drought risk in cities: present and future urban hotspots

Publications

By Tristian Stolte (IVM-VU), Hans de Moel (IVM-VU, Elco Koks (IVM-VU, Marthe Wens (IVM- VU), Philip Ward (IVM-VU), Felix van Veldhoven (CAS), Snigdha Garg (C40 Cities) en Neuni Farhad (C40 Cities)

05/01/2024

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Image credits: Water collection in Pakistan. UK Department for International Development, Flickr, 2010. 

 

Together with IVM-VU and C40 Cities we published an article in the journal Environmental Research Communications on drought risks in 264 cities around the globe. In our analysis, we looked at the years 2010 and 2050. In the article, we show how incredibly important it is to take measures against urban drought in the future.

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Global map for drought risks

Drought is not only a concern for farmers, but also has a major impact on cities where water is very important for drinking water supplies and energy generation. In our analysis, we incorporated data on water availability, water consumption, the cost of water, urban population development, and water vulnerability.

Looking ahead to 2050

Our projections for 2050 indicate that water scarcity will increase in 73 to 88% of the cities, combined with population growth in 91 to 97% of the cities. This means that a substantial majority of the cities are going to face an increased risk of drought. This makes the need for effective water management strategies urgent.

Flowchart of the methodological steps

Water from the tap

Our research not only shows how important water management is for urban areas, but also helps identify cities that are already facing the impacts of drought. Targeted research at the local scale, adaptation measures and cooperation between cities offer promising opportunities to ensure water continues to flow from the tap worldwide.

Read article?

Curious to read the whole article? Then click on the link: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7620/ad0210/meta

Global map for drought risks

Drought is not only a concern for farmers, but also has a major impact on cities where water is very important for drinking water supplies and energy generation. In our analysis, we incorporated data on water availability, water consumption, the cost of water, urban population development, and water vulnerability.

Looking ahead to 2050

Our projections for 2050 indicate that water scarcity will increase in 73 to 88% of the cities, combined with population growth in 91 to 97% of the cities. This means that a substantial majority of the cities are going to face an increased risk of drought. This makes the need for effective water management strategies urgent.

Flowchart of the methodological steps

Water from the tap

Our research not only shows how important water management is for urban areas, but also helps identify cities that are already facing the impacts of drought. Targeted research at the local scale, adaptation measures and cooperation between cities offer promising opportunities to ensure water continues to flow from the tap worldwide.

Read article?

Curious to read the whole article? Then click on the link: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7620/ad0210/meta

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