The University of Utrecht predicts a drought in two months

Two months in advance, researchers at the University of Utrecht can predict drought in the Netherlands. This allows us to take quick action to limit the influence of drought. In a new survey on persistent drought, drought expert Niko Wanders shows that we can take steps to protect ourselves from drought by using new models.

Even though it was past, we are still in the middle of drought. The Rhine is lower than ever and is exceptionally dry. By examining the amount of water available in Germany and Switzerland, scientists at the university can project up to two months and indicate how dry it will be. The question is no longer whether we can predict drought, but how we are going to use these predictions.
The findings of hydrologist Niko Wanders of the University of Utrecht, in cooperation with scientists from Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom, can be used. to prematurely improve water distribution in the Netherlands. For example, additional water can be provided in the polders and the IJsselmeer, or water can be retained in the higher areas by not discharging it into the sea prematurely. Drinking water utilities and nature reserve managers can also use these forecasts to prevent drought problems in the future. Wanders can make these predictions through a model developed by the University of Utrecht
In the same way as weather forecasts, Wanders hopes that drought forecasts will be used daily by the managers of water in the Netherlands. "We can make reliable forecasts for the Rhine using German and Swiss information," he says. "We can also use the sea temperature for this, although it is difficult to predict the weather that it will take more than fourteen days." By examining the amount of water contained in the soil and the heat of the sea, we can estimate if more or less water will flow into the Rhine over the next few months.We find that these forecasts have become so reliable that we can also take steps to reduce the effects of the drought. "
Are we never drought-stricken again? "Unfortunately, this will not be the case, but it will help everything so that we do not suffer from drought in the future," concludes Wanders. "These predictions can help us minimize the effects of drought."