Extreme drought hotspot analysis for adaptation to a changing climate: Assessment of applicability to the five major river basins of the Korean Peninsula

This study proposes a quantitative approach for extreme drought hotspot assessment related to climate change, the hotspot drought risk index (HDRI), and evaluates the response of extreme drought to climate change in the five major river basins of the Korean Peninsula. According to an analysis of seasonal and regional drought characteristics on the Korean Peninsula, drought occurs most frequently in spring, and the central and southern areas are generally more vulnerable to drought. Drought risk analysis under various climate change scenarios indicates significant drought risk over the entire Korean Peninsula excepting some parts of the Han and Nakdong river basins from 2011 to 2040. Extreme drought may be particularly severe in the mid‐west area as these basins lack available water resources. Drought risk decreases in the southern Korean Peninsula in the 2011–2040 and 2071–2099 periods, during which the area vulnerable to drought also decreases. However, some parts of central Korea and the western and eastern coastlines remain susceptible to drought. The drought risk evaluation method suggested herein may be useful for predicting drought and establishing realistic coping strategies for extreme drought in a changing climate. This study proposes a quantitative approach, the hotspot drought risk index (HDRI), for extreme drought assessment considering watershed characteristics; drought risk and climate change adaptation strategies are addressed by applying climate change scenarios for extreme drought.