Community of Practice | Agriculture Drought Risk Assessment: Learning from Regions
Agricultural systems across Europe are increasingly facing prolonged dry periods that threaten crop productivity, soil health, water availability, and the stability of rural economies. Changes in rainfall patterns, higher temperatures, and growing pressure on water resources are making drought a more frequent and complex challenge for farmers and regional authorities alike. Understanding where and how agriculture is most exposed to drought conditions is therefore essential for developing effective adaptation measures and ensuring long-term food system resilience.
This CLIMAAX Community of Practice webinar is the fourth in the new hazard- and workflow-focused series. Participants gained insights into how regional teams have assessed agriculture drought hazard likelihood, exposure, and vulnerability, and how the resulting analysis has informed local adaptation planning and risk management strategies.
Through discussions with Toolbox developers, participants delved deeper into methodological choices, challenges, and lessons learned, supporting the translation of agriculture drought risk assessment into actionable resilience strategies.
The session introduced the Agriculture Drought Workflow, with presentations by Antonio Trabucco and Andrea Rivosecchi (CMCC), who detailed the technical framework for monitoring water stress in farming.
The programme transitioned to regional implementation, showcasing a series of diverse case studies. Mehmet Demir, Tamer Atalay, and Hakan Duman (Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality) delivered a collaborative presentation on local resilience efforts in Turkey, followed by insights from Enrico Lucca and Maroussia Terrana (Unione dei Comuni della Valcerrina), who demonstrated how these tools support agricultural stability and municipal decision-making in Italy. To round out the regional perspectives, Teodora Subotić (Autonomous Province of Vojvodina) shared experiences from the Serbian context.
The session concluded with a moderated panel discussion, a summary of key takeaways, and an overview of upcoming events.