A third effect of climate change on the urban environment is drought: long periods with no significant impact on precipitation. Urban vegetation (parks, trees), historically adapted to a temperate climate with an average monthly precipitation depth of 60 mm, suffers from these extended dry spells, leading to limited growth and increased vulnerability to pests or diseases. This has a negative effect on the city's livelihood.
A government has various options for reducing the consequences of drought. water trees and parks or switch to other, more drought-resistant vegetation. Because these measures are expensive, the government wants an optimal strategy to combat droughts. There is a correlation between soil moisture available for vegetation and the city's water table. With this correlation established and quantified, the existing groundwater observation network can be used to characterize the vulnerability to drought for different areas within the city (e.g. vulnerable - moderate - robust).
This information can serve as a basis for a drought mitigation plan and as a source of information for urban planning. As a first iteration a regression model is derived to estimate the soil moisture content based on observations of the groundwater level.
✘ The influence of drought on groundwater levels and soil moisture in urban areas is unknown
✘ It is not known what the best strategy is for the city to reduce the negative consequences of drought
✘ It is not known what the best strategy is for the city to reduce the negative consequences of drought
A drought vulnerability map is made on the basis of groundwater and soil moisture measurements of the city. This map serves as an information product for urban planning. The static map based on historical measurements can provide insight into different parts of the city. A dynamic map where soil moisture availability for vegetation is estimated in real time based on recent measurements and the regression model can be used to determine if irrigation is required.
✔ Less expenditure for reducing the negative effects of drought in the city
✔ Be regarded as a leader in urban drought mitigation
