Methodology for creating a Map of the Vulnerability of the Quantity of Natural Groundwater Resources to Drought for the Czech Republic
Groundwater drought affecting groundwater availability is still mostly understood as a subset of hydrological drought. The impact of hydrological drought on groundwater is manifested with a delay and depends on its duration. An expert interactive Map of the Vulnerability of the Quantity of Dynamic Groundwater Resources to Drought for the Czech Republic was created as part of the TA CR project SS01010208 – “Controlled Groundwater Recharge as a Tool to Reduce the Impacts of Drought in the Czech Republic”. The presented vulnerability map is created on the basis of the use of precipitation normal and regression relationships between precipitation and total runoff and groundwater discharge (base flow) using the Base Flow Index (BFI) and ratio of base flow in the driest year of 2010–2019 to the long-term average of base flow (M index), which guarantees uniform processing for the entire Czech Republic at a scale of 1 : 50,000 and an objective comparison of the vulnerability of dynamic groundwater resources to drought throughout the country. It is also based on recorded groundwater abstraction and in the case of municipalities with individual supply, the abstraction is calculated from the number of inhabitants and the national average consumption of drinking water per capita. The Map is compiled based on the balance of dynamic groundwater resources and groundwater abstraction. It contains six categories and shows which regions and areas will struggle to have sufficient groundwater resources during periods of prolonged drought. It synthesizes all available flow logs and other data until 2020 and is designed so that the layers with variable information can be updated in the future.
Drought warning system and local threshold limits
Droughts and floods are extreme hydrological phenomena that are currently increasing in frequency due to the growing impact of climate change, and can have significant effects on our lives. Within the “PERUN” research project, an assessment of drought conditions and their development in the Czech Republic is being developed, along with the innovation of the warning system by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI). Drought is a natural phenomenon characterized by a gradual onset, long duration, and low dynamics, which requires a specific approach. The amendment to the Water Act introduces the obligation of regular reporting on drought and the establishment of a predictive service to be conducted by CHMI. Tools are being developed for long-term prediction of water resource conditions and a methodology for drought and water scarcity management plans. These plans aim to ensure water supply, protect the environment, and minimize the economic impacts. The decision-making body for issuing measures based on the drought plans is the Drought Commission, which operates at the regional level. The warning information is available on the HAMR web portal, which also displays local threshold limits for individual water resources.
Draft content of the drought and water scarcity plan in the Czech Republic
The paper presents the draft of the plan for drought and water scarcity in the Czech Republic. The plan is a basic document of drought protection. It serves to coordinate activities in a given area during drought and water shortages.
Hydrological balance and available water resource in the czech republic during hydrological drought
The article deals with the assessment of the hydrological balance in a monthly time step in the territory of the Czech Republic, which was divided into 133 sub-basins for the period 1981–2015.
The drought management plan in the Czech Republic
The paper presents the preparatory phase of the draft of the drought management plan in the Czech Republic in the commenting process. The plan is a basic document of drought protection.
Observed changes of hydrological balance components regarding the available water resources
This study investigated changes in time series of hydrological balance components using trend detection.
