Author(s): Miguel Costa; Rodrigo Maia
Linked Author(s): Rodrigo Maia
Keywords: Drought Water Scarcity Iberian Peninsula Transboundary River Basins Indicators
Abstract: In the Iberian Peninsula, drought and water scarcity management and planning is highly dependent of the transboundary cooperation between Portugal and Spain, as the two countries share five relevant river basins. However, while Spain has developed drought management plans at the river basin district level, distinguishing between prolonged drought and scarcity through the use of specific composite indicators, Portugal has a national drought planning, addressing specifically drought through the use of meteorological and hydrological indicators. In this regard, to better mitigate drought and scarcity impacts, attending also to climate change, the adoption of common approaches, namely the use of a common system of indicators that objectively characterize drought and scarcity situations becomes crucial. In this context, this work addresses drought and water scarcity assessment and planning in the Iberian Peninsula, focusing on the importance of achieving a common transboundary indicator system. Based on it, a methodology to developed a common drought and water scarcity indicator will be presented.
Year: 2025