Due to their generally large water availability and the specific topographical conditions in the Alps, the impacts of climate change on drinking water security will – on an overall level – be less pronounced than in other European regions. However, in combination with seasonal shifts in precipitation and higher evapotranspiration in summer, some regions in the Alps (e.g., inner-Alpine dry valleys, peri-Alpine locations in the South and East, areas with high water needs) are already affected by temporal droughts. These droughts lead to recurring bottlenecks in water supply during dry periods as well as to impacts on hydropower generation and on artificial snowmaking due to changing capacities of water reservoirs. In line with climate change projections (changing interactions between glaciers and river water regimes, changing snow distribution and precipitation patterns), it has to be expected that these regions that are already prone to water scarcity will become highly vulnerable drought hotspots in the future (affecting drinking water, process water for industry and SMEs, hydropower generation, artificial snowmaking). Thus, a common approach to deal with drought management throughout the Alps seems necessary.

Furthermore, following the approach introduced at EU level by the Water Framework Directive and taking into account SDG 6, the use of the water resources should carefully take into account the water availability in the whole river basin, thus considering also the possible needs and pressures coming from other drought hotspots downstream. Also, it needs to be ensured that drought management measures are in line with the preservation of ecosystems and their services.