Anticipating Drought, Empowering Decisions: Emilia-Romagna Pioneers Climate-Driven Water Management
| Discover how the Emilia-Romagna Living Lab is using climate forecasts to help public water managers anticipate droughts, improve coordination, and make smarter, faster decisions—reducing risks and costs before emergencies arise. |
The Emilia-Romagna Living Lab worked closely with regional public authorities and water management bodies to assess the value of a new climate service aimed at anticipating water scarcity and guiding water management decisions. Through in-depth interviews and practical use-case analysis, we explored how timely climate forecasts could reshape water governance across the Upper Secchia River basin.
Making Forecasts Matter for Real Decisions
The climate service provides an intuitive access point to seasonal river discharge forecasts, enriched with historical data and threshold indicators. This allows users to anticipate when to store, distribute, or reduce water use—rather than reacting once drought sets in. Early warnings in “yellow” or “green” alert zones enable autonomous action and help reduce administrative burdens linked to derogations, monitoring, and emergency coordination.
From Reactive to Proactive Water Governance
The analysis shows that local actors—better equipped for rapid action—can make timely decisions using forecast data. This shift from centralized control to distributed responsibility enhances coordination and efficiency. It also facilitates the integration of the service into Resilience Plans, offering a more dynamic alternative to rigid “traffic light” drought systems.
Smart Incentives, Scalable Impact
This transformation can be accelerated through existing funding schemes for agriculture and water infrastructure. Framing the service as a resilience investment allows stakeholders to access co-financing of up to 60% for instruments, data systems, and training—ensuring broad scalability across different basins and users.The Emilia-Romagna Living Lab is part of a broader European effort to co-develop climate services that support local adaptation to water-related climate risks. By working with regional authorities and technical stakeholders, the Lab is designing tools that make climate forecasts operationally useful. The service aims to improve drought preparedness and streamline decision-making in complex governance settings. Its integration into existing funding schemes strengthens both its uptake and long-term viability.