Diagnosing drought for developing reliable and heath-promoting water solutions

Código

V-END_II-EBHE0212

Autores

Pieter van Oel, Rafaella Pessoa Moreira, Eduardo Savio Passos Rodrigues Martins, João Dehon de Araújo Pontes Filho, Francisco Gildemir Ferreira da Silva, Pedro Henrique Augusto Medeiros, Luewton L. F. Agostinho, Alexandre Cunha Costa

Tema

06 - Gestão de Risco e de Desastres: planejamento, adaptação e prevenção;

Resumo

The 3D Drought Diagnosis framework applies a medical diagnostic logic to improve drought management through three interconnected stages: identifying drought dimensions (impacts), understanding drought dynamics (underlying drivers), and fostering drought dialogue (collaborative decision-making). This approach recognizes that drought impacts extend beyond hydroclimatic conditions and are shaped by interactions between environmental, social, and governance factors. Research in Northeast Brazil demonstrates that drought impacts frequently occur outside officially declared drought periods and are strongly influenced by local vulnerabilities. Conventional drought indicators often fail to reflect community experiences, highlighting the importance of continuous impact monitoring, stakeholder participation, and attention to health, water quality, food security, and livelihoods. Human activities, particularly dense networks of small reservoirs, play a dual role by improving local water security while reducing downstream flows and prolonging hydrological droughts. These findings emphasize that droughts are co-produced by natural and human processes, requiring integrated socio-hydrological approaches. Studies also show that Brazil's drought governance has gradually shifted from reactive emergency responses toward proactive drought preparedness. Policies such as rainwater harvesting, improved water supply, and public health interventions have strengthened resilience, enhanced adaptive capacity, and reduced drought-related health impacts, including diarrhea hospitalizations. Building on these insights, the ongoing 3D4REAL project evaluates reliable alternative drinking-water solutions for remote communities, including health education, low-cost water filters, and air-to-water technologies. By combining interdisciplinary research, household monitoring, and stakeholder engagement, the project aims to identify scalable, evidence-based solutions that improve water security, promote public health, and strengthen long-term drought resilience in vulnerable regions.