Droughts affect Europe in various ways, impacting water resources, agriculture, energy, and ecosystems. ARTEMis examines three complementary drought frameworks — hydrological, agricultural, and extreme — across Italy, Slovenia, and Catalonia. These pilot projects help to evaluate existing monitoring and early warning systems, understand exposure and vulnerability patterns, and test more harmonized, impact-based forecasting approaches.
- Hydrological Drought — Po Valley, Italy (2022)
The 2022 Po Valley drought was the region’s worst in two centuries, driven by prolonged precipitation deficits, heatwaves and reduced Alpine snowmelt. Water scarcity caused severe agricultural losses, disrupted hydropower and thermoelectric production, and triggered saltwater intrusion in the Po River. Extensive observational, satellite and climate-model datasets were used to characterise impacts on water quality, supply and distribution. Emergency actions included reservoir expansion, water-saving regulations and infrastructure adaptations. This case supports ARTEMis in understanding how hydrometeorological extremes affect large river basins, highlighting the need for integrated monitoring and harmonised impact-based forecasting across sectors and regions.
- Agricultural Drought — Slovenia (2022)
Slovenia’s 2022 agricultural drought resulted from long-term precipitation deficits, heatwaves and limited snowmelt, causing widespread soil moisture depletion and significant crop damage. Diverse topography and soil types intensified regional disparities, while inadequate water storage and irrigation capacity exacerbated impacts. Agricultural losses exceeded 30%, with substantial effects on energy, transport and tourism. ARSO’s “Sušomer” drought monitoring system, supported by ERA5-Land and satellite data, provided early warnings and operational guidance. The Slovenian case helps ARTEMis explore how agricultural systems respond to climatic extremes and how early-warning tools can better capture local vulnerabilities and support targeted mitigation actions.
- Extreme Drought — Catalonia, Spain (2008)
Catalonia’s 2004–2008 drought was one of the most prolonged and severe on record, culminating in critically low reservoir levels and emergency measures such as tanker-delivered water and strict consumption restrictions. Institutional fragmentation, communication gaps and governance tensions amplified the crisis. The drought caused major socio-economic losses across agriculture, industry and tourism, exceeding €1.6 billion. Catalonia’s diverse climate and complex hydrological setting highlight the need for dense monitoring networks, strong inter-institutional coordination and transparent risk communication. This case informs ARTEMis on governance challenges, water-management vulnerabilities and impact-based preparedness planning in regions under strong climatic variability.