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In a changing climate, drought risk and vulnerability assessments are becoming increasingly important. Following the global call for proactive drought risk management, drought vulnerability assessments are progressively taking their stage in the drought research community. As the manifestation of drought vulnerability is dependent on the social, ecological, and hydroclimatic context in which it occurs, identifying vulnerability factors relevant for specific climatological and ecological regions may improve the quality of vulnerability assessments. Meanwhile, a holistic overview of factors affecting vulnerability in polar and cold climates is currently lacking. These regions are home to large socio-hydrological systems including urban areas, energy systems, agricultural practices, and the boreal forest. By conducting an interdisciplinary systematic literature review, the manifestation and conceptualization of drought vulnerability were identified for forested ecoregions in the Köppen–Geiger D and E climates. Vulnerability factors, as described by several scientific disciplines, were identified and combined into a conceptual framework for drought vulnerability in the study region. The results demonstrate the wide range of conceptualizations that exist for assessing drought vulnerability, and the thematic differences between sectors such as forestry, water supply, and agriculture. The conceptual framework presented herein adopts a novel approach, categorizing vulnerability factors by their location in a socio-hydrological system, and their relation to blue or green water sources. This allowed for identification of systemic vulnerability patterns, providing new insights into regional differences in drought vulnerability and a base for stakeholders performing proactive drought risk assessments in the study region.

There is a global call for proactive drought risk management, stressing the need to further our understanding of the systemic nature of drought risk. Proactive drought risk management requires an understanding of not only the drought hazard itself, but also the underlying vulnerabilities in sociohydrological systems. As a result, drought vulnerability assessments are increasingly being conducted across the globe. However, drought vulnerability is complex and shaped by the social, ecological, and hydroclimatic context. Thus, understanding how vulnerability is manifested depending on regional, sectoral, or societal differences is crucial. Therefore, here we present an assessment of the practical relevance and relative impact of various drought vulnerability factors for water-dependent sectors and societies in forested cold climates. The analysis was based on the results of an online survey conducted in Sweden, targeting stakeholders from seven water-dependent sectors, working in authorities, private and public enterprises, NGOs, and trade associations. Respondents were asked to rate a comprehensive list of vulnerability factors, connected to sectoral and societal vulnerability as well as governance, based on their perceived impact on drought risk in their sector as well as for society as a whole. Results showed that the relevance and impact of individual vulnerability factors differed across sectors, with the forestry sector especially standing out compared to other sectors. Furthermore, the results indicate regional differences in societal vulnerability factors. The substantial list of vulnerability factors found to be relevant by the respondents demonstrates the complex nature of drought risk, as well as the importance of using caution when selecting generic vulnerability factors for applied vulnerability assessments. Furthermore, the results provide a comprehensive guide to both sectoral and societal drought vulnerability in sociohydrological systems located in forested cold climates.

The European continent has experienced several large-scale drought events in recent years, and climate projections suggest an increasing drought risk in many parts of the world. As droughts can have large impacts on socio-hydrological systems, analyzing drought risk is an important part of proactive drought risk management and disaster risk reduction. Drought risk can be expressed as a product of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability, where vulnerability is highly contextual and complex. As droughts can affect all parts of the hydrological system, from precipitation and soil moisture to groundwater and surface water reservoirs, drought vulnerability differs depending on what part of the system is studied. Building on previous results from a survey analyzing drought vulnerability across seven water-dependent sectors, this paper explores how vulnerability factors vary based on sectors' dependency on blue water (surface and subsurface freshwater) or green water (soil moisture) in mid- and high-latitude regions. The findings reveal that drought vulnerability differs based on water type dependency, especially concerning water supply and species characteristics. Perceptions of vulnerability factors vary in number, category, and overall ranking, highlighting the importance of considering water dependency when choosing vulnerability factors for drought risk assessments and to clearly define the drought hazard types involved.

The future risk for droughts and water shortages calls for substantial efforts by authorities to adapt at local levels. Understanding their perception of drought hazards, risk and vulnerability can help to identify drivers of and barriers to drought risk planning and management in a changing climate at the local level. This paper presents a novel interdisciplinary drought case study in Sweden that integrates soft data from a nationwide survey among more than 100 local practitioners and hard data based on hydrological measurements to provide a holistic assessment of the links between drought severity and the perceived levels of drought severity, impacts, preparedness, and management for two consecutive drought events. The paper highlights challenges for drought risk planning and management in a changing climate at the local level and elaborates on how improved understanding of local practitioners to plan for climate change adaptation can be achieved.