The World Drought Atlas: Understanding and Managing Systemic Drought Risks

On 24 June 2025, UNU will host “The World Drought Atlas: Understanding and Managing Systemic Drought Risks”, a BIG IDEAS Dialogue with Davide Cotti and Edward Sparkes, Senior Research Associates at UNU-EHS. This online event will be held via Zoom webinar at 18:00 JST (UTC+9).

Drought risks rooted in complex socio-hydrological and ecological systems increasingly threaten societies and ecosystems globally, requiring enormous efforts to manage them and reduce their impacts. These risks often affect shared water resources, cascading through communities and ecosystems, and generating losses far beyond the area directly experiencing water deficits. Understanding and tackling this complexity is crucial to protect people and ecosystems now and in the future.

In the World Drought Atlas, published by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the European Commission, Davide Cotti and Edward Sparkes explore the complexity of drought risks and suggested systemic approaches to management and adaptation. Focusing on five key systems (water supply, agriculture, ecosystems, hydropower and inland transportation), they propose novel conceptual models that explore how drought risks manifest and interact within and across systems, threatening the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Davide Cotti and Edward Sparkes will join UNU Senior Vice-Rector Sawako Shirahase to explore how the World Drought Atlas showcases how innovative approaches such as adaptation pathways can support the identification of effective risk management and adaptation measures against growing drought risks. The discussion will highlight how the Atlas also illustrates global case studies and best practices through engaging visuals, including maps, models, infographics and human stories. Bridging science and policy audiences, the World Drought Atlas serves as a state of the art resource, making drought risk information more accessible and actionable.

Please note this event will be in English; Japanese interpretation will not be provided. Advance registration by 23 June is required.

UNU@50

This event is part of the UNU 50th anniversary celebration. To learn more, visit: https://unu.edu/unuat50 

About the speakers

Davide Cotti is a Senior Research Associate in the Vulnerability Assessment, Risk Management and Adaptive Planning division at UNU-EHS. His research focuses on the development of methods to capture complexity in hydrological risks and systemic risks, with a particular focus on drought risks.

Edward Sparkes is a Senior Research Associate in the Vulnerability Assessment, Risk Management and Adaptive Planning division at UNU-EHS. His work focuses on assessing and managing complex climate change risks, hydrological extremes and climate-resilient development. He is currently pursuing his PhD, which is investigating the utility of adaptation pathways approaches for managing complex risks.