NDMC Welcomes High-Level Spanish Delegation

The National Drought Mitigation Center welcomed visitors from Madrid, Spain, on Friday, May 9. From left are Dr. Cody Knutson, NDMC; Dr. Teodoro Estrela and Elisa Vargas, both from the Directorate General for Water, Ministry of the Environment; Mark Svoboda, NDMC, Dr. Donald A. Wilhite, Founding Director of the NDMC and Director of the School of Natural Resources; and Javier Álvaraz, from the Centre for Hydrographic Studies, part of the Centro de Estudios y Experimentación de Obras Públicas (CEDEX).

The National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) welcomed a delegation from Spain on May 9. They came to Lincoln after drought-related meetings at the United Nations in New York, in order to lay groundwork for a collaborative partnership related to Spanish and European drought management.

Spain is setting up a national drought center and is working with the European Commission to establish a drought center for Europe, said Dr. Donald A. Wilhite, founding director of the NDMC and Director of the School of Natural Resources. A European drought center could be located in Spain because of that country’s extensive experience with drought.

Spain and the United States have complementary strengths in drought planning and preparedness, said Mark Svoboda, NDMC climatologist. The Spanish system is hydrologically focused, and requires drought planning at the river basin level. U.S. researchers could contribute expertise in climatology and other fields.

The NDMC and visitors discussed the possibility of a Memorandum of Understanding to lay the foundation for further exchange of knowledge on drought early warning, planning, and impact assessment, including analyzing the economic impacts of drought. A consistent methodology for assessing economic impacts, not all of which are obvious or direct, would enable policy makers to use cost-benefit analyses, Svoboda said.

The Spanish visitors were also very interested in educational outreach activities, such as the Water Banking game devised by NDMC staff.

"We could share methodologies, experiences, and educational materials,” Wilhite said. “I believe an MOU would be of substantial mutual benefit for the United States and Europe.”