Drought in the Anthropocene Annual Workshop
In conjunction with the Resilience+10 Conference, the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) working group “Drought in the Anthropocene” (DitA) held its annual workshop on October 3-4, 2024, at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Headquarters. The event brought together multidisciplinary researchers focused on understanding the feedback loops between drought and society, with a particular emphasis on how human actions both influence and are impacted by drought. The workshop aligned with the IAHS HELPING initiative, a decade-long effort to generate science for practical solutions. This year’s focus was on addressing the challenges highlighted during the Resilience+10 Conference and translating those into a structured research agenda.
Specifically, the workshop sought to:
- Identify major scientific gaps related to drought-society interactions.
- Formulate these gaps into actionable research questions and create working groups for future studies.
- Highlight the 10 most critical research findings that can inform decision-making in the context of drought in the Anthropocene.
- Develop policy briefs based on these findings to support the upcoming UNCCD COP16.
Workshop Sessions Overview:
- Day 1 Highlights: The event opened with an introduction to the DitA group, followed by a session on writing science-for-policy briefs, led by Chloe Hill (EGU). Breakout groups then worked to select and refine the 10 key insights for decision-makers. In the afternoon, further sessions focused on identifying research gaps and creating headline statements summarizing these critical gaps.
- Day 2 Highlights: The second day of the workshop continued with breakout groups refining research questions, culminating in a plenary session where the 10 key insights and research agenda were presented. The workshop concluded with a discussion on finalizing the policy briefs for submission to COP16.
The workshop is marked as the start of the production of two deliverables:
- Policy brief on “10 Key Insights into Drought Science” – A summary of essential research findings to aid policymakers in addressing drought in the Anthropocene.
- Research Agenda for the Next Decade – A detailed outline of the scientific priorities for future research on drought resilience, covering topics such as global resilience to drought, governance and financing of drought risks, and the impacts of drought on human and ecosystem health.
In addition to the short-term outcomes, the workshop laid the groundwork for long-term academic collaborations aimed at advancing research in these critical areas. Participants agreed to work on joint publications that will push forward scientific understanding and inform policies to mitigate the societal impacts of drought.
This year’s workshop successfully combined scientific insight with policy relevance, ensuring that the research generated within the network will have practical applications for global drought resilience strategies. The workshop also fostered collaboration across disciplines, helping to advance understanding of drought in the Anthropocene.