Prof Jim Hall: An Introduction to the MaRIUS project

Droughts and water scarcity pose a significant risk to societies, economies and ecosystems worldwide. In 2012 the UK experienced the driest spring in over a century, following two dry winters. A full drought could have led to potential losses of £1.5 billion.
Yet despite this severe economic impact, our scientific understanding of the complex drivers causing drought occurrence, duration and intensity, and our ability to characterise and predict minimise their impacts, is often inadequate.
Following the 2011-2012 UK drought experience, the MaRIUS project has received NERC funding to explore how best to manage future droughts. This project – Managing the Risks, Impacts and Uncertainties of drought and water Scarcity (MaRIUS) will introduce a risk-based approach to drought and water scarcity in order to inform management decisions and prepare households.