Description

EDO is a web-based pan-European platform for drought detection, monitoring, forecasting and information exchange, which consists of commonly agreed products (e.g. set of drought indices), joint comparison and analysis of information, mutual exchange of knowledge and methodologies, real-time monitoring and forecasting (early warning). It is multi-scale approach that integrates information from the EU/continental Member States and river basin scales. It applies the subsidiarity principle, which includes consistent, de-central data-holding from the different scales (e.g. national datasets, information processed by regional water/environmental authorities). Hence, EDO is complemented by more detailed information provided by regional, national and local observatories. There is a continuous involvement of Member States Authorities.

EDO primarily aims at drought monitoring, but it also includes a forecast of drought conditions and up-to-date information on drought in the media. The 7-day soil moisture (actual, anomaly) is forecasted using ECMWF ENS, which drives LISFLOOD (EFAS).

The European Drought Observatory (EDO) has been developed by the JRC in the framework of the 2007 EU Water Scarcity and Drought Communication to provide Europe-wide up-to-date information on the occurrence and severity of droughts (Vogt et al., 2013).