Hydroclimatic compound events are a range of highly diverse concurrent or sequential extremes that originate from a combination of multiple drivers and/or hazards and contribute to more severe cascading socio-economic and ecological impacts compared to single extreme events. Compound events are classified into four categories, such as a) preconditioned, b) multivariate, c) temporally and d) spatially compounding all of which pose distinct impacts on water resources, energy security, crop production and food security. For example, the multivariate co-occurrence of prolonged meteorological drought and heatwaves are concerning for water resources management causing stresses on water supply due to changes in catchment yield and reduced streamflow. Compound events also provide an ideal background for increasing risk of bushfires, flash floods and overall useability of water resources. In the backdrop of a changing climate, an increased likelihood of such compound events could cause more detrimental consequences across many parts of the world including Australia. Research into the underlying mechanisms and cascading risks of compound events in a changing climate is thus crucial for improved risk assessment and management.
In this session, we invite contributions with a focus on multivariate compound events that:
Key topics: Hydroclimatic compound events, Impact analysis, Coupled hydroclimatic processes, Water resource and ecosystem management