Assessing Drought Vulnerability in Northeast Colorado

Drought events cascade their impacts on both natural and anthropogenic systems. The drought vulnerability concept refers mostly to the capacity of a system to cope and its potential to be harmed by such events. This presentation examines drought vulnerability to the 2012 drought event in Northeast Colorado in an integrated manner, presenting its multi-faceted impacts in the region. The Standardized Drought Vulnerability Index serves as a tool to convey, in a holistic way, the complex spatiotemporal drought information. Such an integrated approach could reveal factors to be strengthened, in order to assist in reducing the susceptibility of our systems. The results for drought vulnerability in the area of study showed that the urban areas are characterized as the least vulnerable. Highly vulnerable turned out to be non-irrigated vegetation, as well as multipurpose reservoirs with high irrigation, recreation and environmental/habitational impacts. Identifying adaptation and mitigation strategies and linking them into to the new draft of the Colorado Drought Mitigation and Response Plan, would promote integrated water management and advance the system capacity to cope with extreme dry events.