A drought framework

Published On 29/10/2017

UKWIR is providing the project management and the support system for an Environment Agency project Drought Vulnerability Framework.

At an UKWIR Technology Transfer workshop, the Environment Agency's Stuart Sampson explained how an earlier 2014-15 Defra/Environment Agency project Understanding the Performance of Water Supply Systems During Mild to Extreme Drought had shown, through the analysis of nine case studies that there were a range of past droughts in varying by their duration, severity, the time of year they ended and the impacts they caused.

This had lead to the decision to undertake a phase II of the work to devise a consistent framework for assessing drought vulnerability that also considers droughts beyond the current record. The output of the project will provide evidence for the next round of company Water Resources Management Plans.

Doug Hunt, from the contractor, Atkins, explained how they, with help from HR Wallingford, had used the 'drought response surface' type approach developed in phase I. This demonstrated how the water supply company supply systems are affected by drought events of different durations and severities.

The approaches examined in the framework cover the range of different system types and the availability of models and data.

UKWIR Project Manager, Neil Whiter, said that the project will allow all water companies to understand and present the nature of drought vulnerability within their water resource zones according to variation in duration, pattern and severity of drought across a wide range of risks and return periods.

The workshop took in considerable feedback from delegates comprising attendees from water companies, the Environment Agency, Defra and Water UK. The project is due to be completed shortly.