Priority questions in multidisciplinary drought research

Authors: TRNKA, M. - Mendel University; HAYES, M. - University Of Nebraska; JURECKA, FRANTISEK - Mendel University; BARTOSOVA, L. - Mendel University; Anderson, Martha; BRAZDIL, R. - Masaryk University; BROWN, J. - United State Geological Service; CAMARERO, J. - Instituto De Investigacion Sanitaria Aragon; CUDLIN, P. - Mendel University; DOBROVOLNY, P. - Mendel University; EITZINGER, J. - University Of Natural Resources & Applied Life Sciences - Austria; FENG, S. - University Of Arkansas; FINNESSEY, T. - Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District; GREGORIC, G. - Water Resources Board; HAVLIK, P. - Collaborator; HAIN, C. - Collaborator; HOLMAN, I. - Cranfield University; JOHNSON, D. - National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS, USDA); KERSEBAUM, K. - Leibniz Centre; LJUNGGVIST, F. - Masaryk University; LUTERBACHER, J. - Stockholm University; MICALE, F. - Collaborator; HARTL-MEIER, C. - Johannes Gutenberg University; MOZNY, M. - Czech University Of Life Sciences Prague; NEJEDLIK, P. - Slovak Academy Of Sciences

Submitted to: Climate Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2018
Publication Date: 8/15/2018
Citation: Trnka, M., Hayes, M., Jurecka, F., Bartosova, L., Anderson, M.C., Brazdil, R., Brown, J., Camarero, J., Cudlin, P., Dobrovolny, P., Eitzinger, J., Feng, S., Finnessey, T., Gregoric, G., Havlik, P., Hain, C., Holman, I., Johnson, D., Kersebaum, K., Ljunggvist, F., Luterbacher, J., Micale, F., Hartl-Meier, C., Mozny, M., Nejedlik, P. 2018. Priority questions in multidisciplinary drought research. Climate Research. 75:241-260. https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01509.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01509

Interpretive Summary: Drought research covers a wide range of topics, including coupled atmosphere-ocean mechanisms and processes, observations of the spatiotemporal variability and trends in drought frequency and severity, and impacts on agriculture, hydrology, the environment, public health and famine, power generation and transportation. Therefore, research on droughts is interdisciplinary, requiring meteorological, climatological, hydrological, modeling and socio-economic expertise. This study represent outcomes of focus group discussions of experts from the various sectors and disciplines, aimed at identifying a set of priority questions in multidisciplinary drought research. The experts screened over 400 science questions submitted by the drought community, and through a sequence of iterative rankings, distilled this set to 60 priority questions relating to drought i) monitoring; ii) impacts; iii) forecasting; iv) climatology; v) adaptation and vi) planning. The resulting set of questions can be adapted to different regions of the world, and can serve as a “check-list” in formulating drought research priorities.

Technical Abstract: Addressing timely and relevant questions across a multitude of spatiotemporal scales, state-of-the-art interdisciplinary drought research will likely increase in importance under projected climate change. Given the complexity of the various direct and indirect causes and consequences of a drier world, scientific tasks need to be coordinated efficiently. Drought-related research endeavors ranging from individual projects to global initiatives therefore require prioritization. Here, we present a set of 60 priority questions for optimizing future drought research. This topical catalogue reflects the experience of 65 scholars from 21 countries and almost 20 fields of research in both the natural sciences and the humanities. The questions primarily cover the following drought-related topics: i) monitoring; ii) impacts; iii) drought forecasts; iv) climatology; v) adaptation and vi) planning.