A framework for a joint hydro-meteorological-social analysis of drought

New research published by Oxford-led collaboration as part of the NERC-funded “Historic Droughts” project.

A new paper, led Dr Bettina Lange, Associate Professor of Law and Regulation at Oxford University’s Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, sets out a framework for a joint hydro-meteorological-social analysis of drought.

The research, published in Science of the Total Environment, defines and links, in an innovative way, ‘drivers’ of, ‘responses’ to, and ‘impacts’ of drought. It explores how these work at various temporal and spatial scales, with particular reference to the 1976 and 2003-6 drought episodes in the UK.

The key objective of the framework is to develop a more integrated understanding of the ‘drivers’, ‘responses’ and ‘impacts’ of drought, that bridges their natural and social dimensions.

The article is the result of a cross-disciplinary collaboration between hydrological, socio-legal and agricultural studies involving the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, the British Geological Survey and Cranfield University. The work is part of the UK government Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded ‘Historic Droughts’ Project (NE L010356/1).

A version of this post first appeared on the Faculty of Law website.