Droughts in Europe and Worldwide 2019-2020

This JRC Technical Report summarizes a year of drought events through the monitoring and forecasting activity of European (EDO) and Global (GDO) Drought Observatories, as part of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS). The period of interest spans from October 2019 to September 2020, during which several drought events of relevance and other minor events or intense dry spells were observed.

The publication reports how Europe went through a third consecutive year of unusually dry weather in 2020. It also explores significant drought events globally and analyses the drivers, severity and reported impacts of these events. Contributions from partners around the world are included, providing insights on their area of competence. With another hot and dry summer for Europe in 2020, the report shows how low rainfall starting in April 2020 led to a dry summer for much of western, central and eastern Europe, which continued into July for several countries. This led to deficits in soil moisture and lower than normal levels for several major rivers in Europe. Thankfully, effective mitigation measures and heavy rainfall before spring and after summer meant that the impacts on water availability were mild. Understanding current drought events and analysing the mitigation measures in place can help to better adapt to changes in precipitation pattern in the future.