Towards an operational European Drought Impacts Database (EDID)

This article gives insight into the implementation of European Drought Impact Database (EDID), its structure and attributes, and provides an analysis of the content. Drought impact information is essential to move from reactive management to a proactive approach. Data on drought impacts provide regional insight into vulnerability and support robust risk assessment and sustainable adaptation strategies. Drought impact data are also essential to build and validate models for advanced impact forecasting, including AI enhanced tools. While there is increasing consensus on the operational use of specific physical drought hazard indices, to date there is no generally accepted convention on drought impact data collection and use.

The article concludes that the European Drought Impact Database EDID represents the most comprehensive collection of drought impact records from text-based sources available. Data are free and accessible via a user-friendly webservice integrated into the Copernicus European Drought Observatory. The records confirm European exposure to drought, with agriculture being the most affected sector in southern and eastern Europe. Public water supplies, aquatic ecosystems and energy production are affected all over Europe, while inland navigation is impacted only in countries with economically important navigable rivers.