Summer droughts are observed and projected to increase in frequency and
severity under climate change in the Netherlands. Besides their well-documented
effects on water quantity, they can also profoundly impact water quality. While
a growing body of literature documents their effects on surface water quality
in agricultural catchments, urban environments largely remain a blind spot.
This is striking, as most people worldwide are currently living in urban environments.
At the same time, surface water bodies in cities are often polluted.
The Netherlands has an exceptionally high degree of urbanisation and is facing
a wide range of water quality challenges. Hence, advancing the understanding
of drought impacts on water quality in Dutch cities is both of scientific interest
and of practical relevance.
The objective of this research project is to quantify and model the impacts
of drought on water quality across selected Dutch cities. Open data from nine
cities, as well as in-situ field measurements and laboratory analyses from selected
sites, are combined. Meteorological and hydrological drought indicators are
used to estimate drought impacts on water quality, using different modeling
techniques. Thereby, the research aims to contribute to advancing urban water
management under drought conditions.
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