A-DROP

Alpine Drought Prediction: Enhancing the Alps’ readiness to cope with drought and promote sustainable water management

A-DROP addresses the growing challenges of water scarcity in the Alps, driven by climate change, which is causing more frequent and severe droughts. These changes have far-reaching effects on agriculture, energy production, tourism, freshwater supply, and ecosystems, all of which depend on Alpine water resources. To tackle these issues, A-DROP aims to enhance the Alpine region's capacity for effective drought management through innovative tools and strategies. The project brings together 11 partners from five Alpine Space countries, including research institutions and public authorities, to jointly develop comprehensive, region-specific drought risk management solutions. By advancing drought monitoring, forecasting, and real-time data integration, A-DROP refines existing water management practices and establishes a pan-Alpine prediction system. This system delivers high-resolution climate and hydrological data, drought indices, and impact assessments, which are accessible and adaptable to local management frameworks.

A-DROP ensures real-world applicability by testing its tools across five pilot areas, involving key sectors such as agriculture, hydropower, tourism, and water governance. The project’s regional climate models offer insights into future drought trends, helping inform long-term strategies and adaptation measures. With a strong focus on stakeholder engagement, A-DROP promotes the dissemination of knowledge through tailored training, outreach events, and collaborations with regional water authorities, ensuring the out-scaling of successful solutions and fostering a culture of responsible water use across the Alpine region.

At the Chair of Hydrology and River Basin Management at TUM, we are leading the pilot study focusing on the hydropower sector within the A-DROP project. The objective is to create an advanced hydrological tool that integrates both physics-based and machine learning models to simulate hydropower operations under drought conditions in the Upper Isar catchment. Through extensive data calibration, the project aims to assess the economic and ecological trade-offs between hydropower production and regional water demands. The ultimate goal is to develop adaptive, sustainable strategies for improved low-water management, balancing the needs of energy generation, ecosystem health, and diverse water users in the Upper Isar region.

Project funding: EU Interreg Alpine Space Program

Project start: 01.09.2024

Project end: 31.08.2027

Project partners: Eurac Research (IT) (Project Lead), Slovene Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry – Institute of Agriculture and Forestry Maribor (SI), Abest-Horizon (FR), Federal Institute for Geology, Geophysics, Climatology and Meteorology (AT), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE), Functional Center and Planning of Aosta Valley (IT), CIMA Research Foundation (IT), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (FR), Technical University of Vienna (AT) 

Project management: Markus Disse, Ye Tuo

Project assistance: Moritz Wirthensohn

More Information: https://www.alpine-space.eu/project/a-drop/