> ENC Master > Climate Encyclopaedia > Food & Climate > more > 3. Drought in the Mediterranean
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Drought in the MediterraneanSocial and economic impacts of drought in the Mediterranean are increasing and will likely be exacerbated by increasing population, urbanization, expanding irrigation areas, inadequate controls of water use, lack of political will, and cultural impediments.
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This is a satellite picture showing the NDVI (Normalized Deviation Vegetation Index) for the Mediterranean region. This index is used to distinguish areas with different density and kinds of vegetation. As seen in this picture areas in the North of Europe have much more dense vegetation than those close to the Mediterranean Sea, and the reason for this distribution is not other than climate and water availability. |
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Water management is strongly concerned with the minimization of risks in agricultural production. Much of the risk is caused by the unpredictability of future weather patterns. The most salient risks are drought. The impacts vary between users and regions in the Mediterranean, but there is a common factor, the recurrence of drought events and its effects.
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1. Scientific reviewer: Alex de Sherbinin - CIESIN, Columbia University - USA 2. Scientific reviewer: Lily Parshall - Goddard Institute for space studies, Columbia University - USA Educational reviewer: Emilio Sternfeld - Colegio Virgen de Mirasierra - España Last update: 12/05/2004 |