Science-policy Dialogue on Drought Risk Management
Drinking Water Emergency in Uruguay
Keywords:
climate services, co-production, governance, SISSA, social learningAbstract
Drought is one of the environmental hazards of greatest global concern, with consequences that challenge decision-makers around the world. This article analyses the case of Uruguay regarding the drinking water availability issue, in the context of the drought that affected the region from 2019 to 2023. Through a process of co-production of knowledge based on social learning, and involving actors from public policy and academia, strategies for integrated drought risk management are outlined. Improvements in governance, starting with the formalization of an integrated intersectoral participatory setting, as well as in communication and targeted research in water resources to find resilient systems that could adapt to current climate variability, were identified as the most important needs to be addressed. Binding political commitments are required to move from discourse on the need for change to structural change in regulatory frameworks and water management practices. Recommendations are presented to strengthen governance and improve resilience facing future droughts.
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