Droughts in a human-dominated world: Feedbacks, legacies and inequalities

Societies have increasingly influenced the frequency and severity of hydrological drought over the past centuries by: i) building dams and reservoirs to secure water supply; ii) diverting water flows to supply cities, industries and agriculture; and iii) changing river basin characteristics through deforestation, urbanization and drainage of wetlands. While societies influence hydrological droughts, drought occurrences (and risks) influence societies. Adaptive responses include migration from drought-affected areas or changes in water allocation and governance. In this talk, I present case studies, global analyses and models to show how these sociohydrological feedbacks can generate legacy risks or social inequalities and thus challenge the development of sustainable policies of disaster risk reduction and water management.