Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
HESS
Articles | Volume 30, issue 9
Articles | Volume 30, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-2817-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-2817-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 30, issue 9
Research article
 | 
11 May 2026
Research article |  | 11 May 2026

Reconstructed soil moisture droughts in Belgium reveal 2011–2020 was the driest decade since 1970

Katoria Lekarkar, Oldrich Rakovec, Rohini Kumar, Stefaan Dondeyne, and Ann van Griensven

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Short summary
Belgium has faced intense droughts in recent years, causing major losses across sectors. To assess their rarity, we used a hydrological model to reconstruct fifty years of soil moisture in the country. We show that 2011–2020 experienced the most severe droughts since 1971, with nearly 30% of the decade under drought. We also show that rainfall-based indicators underestimate soil moisture droughts, so including soil-moisture monitoring can give decision-makers a clearer picture of drought risks.
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