Drought is a complex phenomenon resulting from interactions between physical and social systems that impacts both societies and ecosystems around the world yearly. Drought risks are systemic and increasing (UNDRR, 2021). In 2019, scientists from African countries urged the world to end the drought in drought research and asked for more support to better identify and prepare for drought disasters (Padma, 2019). Preparing for future drought requires a thorough understanding of the complexities of systemic drought risk and adaptation feedbacks, effective drought risk management, and good communication of the risk and potential adaptation options. In the special issue on Drought, society, and ecosystems, we aim to showcase the diverse interdisciplinary research being done on the interactions between drought, ecosystems, and people (including human-induced climate change and management).

We solicit contributions (commentaries, review articles, original research articles) from different perspectives on this interdisciplinary topic from research scientists of different fields, students, practitioners, and stakeholders. It will be a unique opportunity to further our understanding of drought risk, adaptation, and feedbacks. The co-listing of this special issue under the Copernicus journals Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (NHESS), Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS), Geoscience Communication (GC), and Biogeosciences (BG) allows for more diversity in perspectives.

Abstracts that fall under one of the following (or related) themes will be considered:

• drought risk analysis
• drought impact attribution
• water security in diverse contexts
• drought risk management and communication
• co-creation of drought information services
• drought in (socio-)ecological systems
• drought and the food–water–energy–environment nexus
• influence of human activities on drought hazard
• socio-hydrology of human–drought interactions
• drought and vulnerability (in ecological and/or social systems)
• drought adaptation (in ecological and/or social systems)
• climate change impacts on drought/water security.

Manuscripts with diverse authorships and with case studies in different geographic regions are especially welcomed. The special issue arises from the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) Panta Rhei working group Drought in the Anthropocene and aims to showcase the research done on drought–society–ecosystem interactions during the IAHS Panta Rhei decade (2013–2023). However, unsolicited contributions are also highly encouraged. The guest editors aim for diversity and balance in contributions and authors, encouraging researchers from countries underrepresented in science, women, and minorities to contribute to this special issue.

References:

UNDRR: GAR Special Report on Drought 2021, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, ISBN 9789212320274, 2021.

Padma, T.V.: African nations push UN to improve drought research, Nature, 573, 319-320, https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-02760-9, 2019.