The international research project on Megadroughts in Europe’s Watertowers (project acronym MegaWat) officially launched with a kickoff meeting at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) the 4th and 5th September 2024.

The meeting brought together all project partners to discuss the research framework, methodologies, and collaborative goals. This project has received funding from the Water4All programme with co-funding from CDTI (Spanish Office for Science and Technology) and the EU’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

This ambitious project aims to advance the understanding of past and future megadroughts by integrating high-resolution climate reconstructions, tree-ring data, and hydroclimatic modeling. Researchers from Spain (FutureWater), Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, and other countries, will work together to assess the frequency, drivers, and impacts of extreme drought events.

The kickoff meeting fostered interdisciplinary exchange, setting the foundation for effective collaboration over the coming years. With a strong focus on historical data and future projections, the project seeks to provide valuable insights for water resource management and climate resilience in a changing world.

Acknowledgements

This project has received funding from the Water4All programme with co-funding from CDTI (Spanish Office for Science and Technology) and the EU’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.