In an eagerly received presentation during the Danube Water Conference, a researcher from Oxford University presented a global framework for drought risk assessment in water utilities as a starting point for regional activities. In the light of recent droughts and awareness of growing climate crisis-related risks, the Danube Water Program did not hesitate to jump on board. Our regional utility drought risk analysis starts here and now. Join to establish the individual risk profile of your utility - including the most cost-efficient tools to mitigate your individual risk.

The disastrous drought of 2022 was still a fresh memory when Olivia Becher, Researcher at the University of Oxford, took the stage at this year's Danube Water Conference and presented a global framework for drought risk assessment for water utilities. This is a handy tool to estimate the present and future risks of drought for utilities and to identify the most cost-effective climate adaptation measures in a portfolio of desalination, storage, and leakage reduction options. At the end of her presentation, Ms. Becher cautioned that, given the limitations of global datasets, the research team's initial assessment of altogether 5600 utilities worldwide represented only a starting point for tailored, more detailed studies on the regional level.

Which is where the Danube Water Program steps in. Starting today, we offer utilities in the Danube region a state of-the-art platform to identify climate-resilient pathways.

Please follow the link below to join the Water Utility Drought Risk Assessment. Contribute to a novel, forward-looking, science-based initiative that helps water supply utilities in the Danube region to successfully navigate the critical issue of water scarcity and droughts.

The Water Utility Drought Risk Assessment aims to estimate the individual annual average drought risk for each participating utility, measured in terms of the number of days that utilities would not be able to supply their full customer base without drawing from non-renewable groundwater.

This annual average risk metric will be estimated under present day and three possible future climate change conditions, ranging from pessimistic to optimistic greenhouse gas emissions scenarios. Predicting the risk reduction impact of alternative adaptation actions like increasing reservoir storage, reducing leakage or raising desalination capacity will help to explore the cost-effectiveness of considered options.

Ultimately, the Utility Drought Risk Assessment aims to support countries, communities and individual utilities in their water management efforts by providing insights into their exposure and vulnerability to present and future drought-related water shortages.

Join in and be a part of this unique and pioneering initiative. Follow the link below to learn more and to fill out your online registration form to access the data collection platform. Data submission is still possible – fast forward to a water-safe future!