The document summarizes the Integrated Drought Management Programme in Central and Eastern Europe. It discusses how countries in the region are sensitive to changes in precipitation patterns and the increasing risk of droughts due to climate change. The program aims to help the region enhance resilience to drought through regional cooperation, national planning, demonstration projects, capacity development, and knowledge sharing. Specific projects are testing innovative solutions for natural water retention, increasing soil water holding capacity, and analyzing the vulnerability of forest ecosystems to drought in various countries in the region. The results of these demonstration projects will feed into drought management guidelines and tools.

1. GWP Consulting Partners Meeting
Ecosystems and Water Security
Integrated Drought Management Programme Demo Projects
Richard Muller, GWP Central and Eastern Europe
Port of Spain, Trinidad, 27 June 2014

2. Integrated Drought Management Programme in
Central and Eastern Europe
“In terms of water resources management and climate
change adaptation, countries in Central and Eastern
Europe are sensitive to variability and changing
precipitation patterns...increased frequency and severity
of extreme weather events – increase of droughts.”
(IPCC)
Need for regional and national drought policies &
plans
from reactive to proactive approach
integrated approach

3. Regional
Cooperation
National
Planning
Demonstration
Projects
Capacity
Development
Knowledge &
Awareness
Partnership &
Sustainability
Increase the capacity of
the region to adapt to
climatic variability by
enhancing resilience to
drought

4. Partners
National Scientific Center
for Global Changes (BG)
Research Institute for Soil
and Water Conservation
(CZ)
10 Country Water
Partnerships & 40
Partner Organizations
University of Debrecen (HUN)
Vilnius University (LT)
Institute of Ecology
and Geography (MD)
Institute of Agricultural and
Forest Environment (PL)
Institute of Meteorology
and Water Management (PL)
National Meteorological
Administration (ROM)
Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute
Soil Science and Conservation
Research Institute (SK)
Slovenian Forestry Institute
Biotechnical Faculty (SLO)
Limnos Ltd. (SLO)
Ukrainian Research Institute
of Forest and Forest Melioration (UA)

5. Testing innovative solutions
Innovations that address critical water
security challenges to enhance drought
resilience of countries and communities
Collecting and analyzing data through
demonstration projects contributes to
knowledge sharing and capacity
development
Different aspects of drought management
and involvement of different sectors
Results feed into Good Practice
Compendium, Drought Management
Guidelines, GWP ToolBox

6. Mitigation measure – buffer extreme
variability in water quantity
(release/use of water during dry
periods)
Improves water retention potential of
the landscape
Examples: small dikes and polders,
restoration of wetlands, changes in
forest and agricultural practices
Guidelines: combine drought
mitigation, flood protection and
biodiversity conservation
Natural small water retention
measures
Poland, Hungary, Slovakia,
Slovenia
Limnos; 2013
Limnos; 2013
Revitalization of the
river stream
Retention of
the
agricultural
runoff

7. Supported by European
Commission, DG ENV
Green Infrastructure
Communication
Blueprint to Safeguard
Europe's Water Resources
Natural Water Retention
Measures Initiative
www.nwrm.eu
Integrating ecosystem
services into Water
Framework Directive
Natural small water retention
measures

8. Tests methods for improving water
infiltration into soil profile
Field experiments with mixture of
different „techniques“: sub-soiling, with
and without tillage, composting tillage,
organic fertilizers applications, to
improve soil structure
Practical examples of soil water holding
capacity regulations + how to include
proposals into Drought Management
Plans or already existing agro-
environmental plans
Slovakia, Czech Republic,
Slovenia, Poland
Increasing soil water
holding capacity
ory rain simulator; CZ
Mihelic; Sloenia

9. Increasing soil water
holding capacity

10. Bulgaria, Ukraine, Slovenia,
Lithuania
Drought impact on forest
ecosystems
Four countries with forest area 35% of
total forest in the region
Forests have significant impact on water
regime
Analysis of forest ecosystems –
vulnerability zones of the forest
vegetation for the present climate (61-
90) and for the year 2050 and 2100
(different scenarios: realistic, optimistic,
pessimistic)
Measures for adaptation for different
zones (high level of vulnerability, low
level)

11. http://www.gwp.org/en/GWP-CEE/IDMPCEE/