Articles | Volume 25, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-1993-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-1993-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
18 Jun 2025
Research article |
| 18 Jun 2025
| 18 Jun 2025
From insufficient rainfall to livelihoods: understanding the cascade of drought impacts and policy implications
Louise Cavalcante
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Public Administration and Policy Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
David W. Walker
Water Resources Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
Sarra Kchouk
Water Resources Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
Germano Ribeiro Neto
Hydrology and Quantitative Water Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
Taís Maria Nunes Carvalho
Department of Urban and Environmental Sociology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
Mariana Madruga de Brito
Department of Urban and Environmental Sociology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
Wieke Pot
Public Administration and Policy Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
Art Dewulf
Public Administration and Policy Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
Pieter R. van Oel
Water Resources Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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socialmeans in socio-hydrology, and monodisciplinary studies prevail. We expect to encourage socio-hydrologists to investigate different disasters using a more integrative approach that combines natural and social sciences tools by involving stakeholders and broadening the use of mixed methods.
Sarra Kchouk, Lieke A. Melsen, David W. Walker, and Pieter R. van Oel
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The review of flood vulnerability indices revealed that (1) temporal dynamic aspects were often disregarded, (2) coping and adaptive capacity indicators were frequently ignored, as obtaining these data demand time and effort, and (3) most studies neither applied sensitivity (90.5 %) or uncertainty analyses (96.8 %) nor validated the results (86.3 %). The study highlights the importance of addressing these gaps to produce scientifically rigorous and comparable research.
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Short summary
Drought affects not only water availability but also agriculture, the economy, and communities. This study explores how public policies help reduce these impacts in Ceará, Northeast Brazil. Using qualitative drought monitoring data, interviews, and policy analysis, we found that policies supporting local economies help lessen drought effects. However, most reported impacts are still related to water shortages, showing the need for broader strategies beyond water supply investment.
Drought affects not only water availability but also agriculture, the economy, and communities....
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