Impact Story #17
Making Drought Visible
Drought often develops gradually, but its consequences can be severe. A monitoring tool developed by Helmholtz researchers shows, daily, just how dry Germany’s soils really are.
Whether in agriculture, forestry, or water management, soil moisture conditions are critical. Yet for a long time, there was a lack of comprehensive, up-to-date data needed to assess dry periods reliably.
To address this, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ developed the German Drought Monitor, built on the mHM hydrological model system. The model integrates weather data, soil information, and hydrological processes to provide daily high-resolution assessments of soil moisture conditions throughout Germany.
The result is a freely accessible online information system that visualizes drought conditions, from short-term deficits to prolonged droughts. Users can track developments over weeks and months and compare conditions across regions.
The Drought Monitor has established itself as an important tool: farmers, foresters, government agencies, and the media use the data to assess risks and inform decision-making. With up to two million visits per year, it is one of the most widely used environmental information systems in Germany.
What began as a hydrological model now supports efforts to address one of the most significant consequences of climate change.
Image: Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock
