stabilization tool that assists farmers with compensations paid for losses suffered as
a result of adverse climatic events, such as severe drought. The water-related rural
development measures focus mainly on water use and water pollution prevention
and reduction measures. Therefore, it does not address the issue of drought
prevention.
To address the issue of drought, both water and land ecosystems should be
involved. Thus sustainable land management practices that increase the resilience of
the farming systems have a large potential in contributing to drought prevention and
reduction. In order to strengthen the aspect of risk prevention management of
drought, coordination of activities between drought and agriculture policies should
in addition to supporting improved water demand management practices, place a
stronger focus on sustainable farming practices with potential to improve natural
water retention capacity of soil. Several measures, including for example buffer
strips, crop rotation, meadows and pastures, traditional practices, grasslands, terracing or green cover, can act as NWRM, by encouraging the retention of water
within a catchment and, through that, enhancing the natural functioning of the
catchment.
6
2.4 Where to Go: A Conclusion on the Development
of the European Perspective on Drought
Over the last two decades EU Drought Policy has developed from a series of
scattered policies that range from broader forms of water governance that tackle
water issues to more recently, direct policy actions to adapt and mitigate drought
occurrences. In either case, the effectiveness of drought-related policy frameworks
largely depend on the mobilization and operationalization of the policy through
national and regional drought policies and initiatives (Bressers et al. 2013).
Moving forward, there is a critical need to shift from a crisis-oriented management approach to a risk-based (or even resilience-based) management approach.
In addition, further integration and strengthening of various policy instruments, as
suggested by the Blueprint for Safeguarding, that aim to promote policy measures,
such as water efficiency, across water, land, and nature, and other management and
policy spaces, are necessary to begin catalyzing such a shift. More support, in the
form of financial mechanisms, at all policy levels is also essential, particularly
within more complex policy mixes such as the WFD and the CAP. At the moment,
the only policy instrument directly tackling drought that exists at the European level
is the Europeans Commission’s Communication on water scarcity and drought.
However, due to its lesser status in relation to Directives, the Communication is still
weak and lacks teeth in the policy landscape. Somehow coupling WS&D with the
6
Natural Water Retention Measures, http://www.nwrm.eu/concept/3857.
38
U. Stein et al.
a result of adverse climatic events, such as severe drought. The water-related rural
development measures focus mainly on water use and water pollution prevention
and reduction measures. Therefore, it does not address the issue of drought
prevention.
To address the issue of drought, both water and land ecosystems should be
involved. Thus sustainable land management practices that increase the resilience of
the farming systems have a large potential in contributing to drought prevention and
reduction. In order to strengthen the aspect of risk prevention management of
drought, coordination of activities between drought and agriculture policies should
in addition to supporting improved water demand management practices, place a
stronger focus on sustainable farming practices with potential to improve natural
water retention capacity of soil. Several measures, including for example buffer
strips, crop rotation, meadows and pastures, traditional practices, grasslands, terracing or green cover, can act as NWRM, by encouraging the retention of water
within a catchment and, through that, enhancing the natural functioning of the
catchment.
6
2.4 Where to Go: A Conclusion on the Development
of the European Perspective on Drought
Over the last two decades EU Drought Policy has developed from a series of
scattered policies that range from broader forms of water governance that tackle
water issues to more recently, direct policy actions to adapt and mitigate drought
occurrences. In either case, the effectiveness of drought-related policy frameworks
largely depend on the mobilization and operationalization of the policy through
national and regional drought policies and initiatives (Bressers et al. 2013).
Moving forward, there is a critical need to shift from a crisis-oriented management approach to a risk-based (or even resilience-based) management approach.
In addition, further integration and strengthening of various policy instruments, as
suggested by the Blueprint for Safeguarding, that aim to promote policy measures,
such as water efficiency, across water, land, and nature, and other management and
policy spaces, are necessary to begin catalyzing such a shift. More support, in the
form of financial mechanisms, at all policy levels is also essential, particularly
within more complex policy mixes such as the WFD and the CAP. At the moment,
the only policy instrument directly tackling drought that exists at the European level
is the Europeans Commission’s Communication on water scarcity and drought.
However, due to its lesser status in relation to Directives, the Communication is still
weak and lacks teeth in the policy landscape. Somehow coupling WS&D with the
6
Natural Water Retention Measures, http://www.nwrm.eu/concept/3857.
38
U. Stein et al.