Franke et al. (2026) Drought propagation and ecosystem resilience in a peri-urban catchment of Berlin-Brandenburg

Identification

• Journal: Natural hazards and earth system sciences
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-04
• Authors: Polina Franke, Aryan Goswami, Márk Somogyvári
• DOI: 10.5194/nhess-26-3617-2026

Research Groups

• Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
• Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Short Summary

This study investigates drought dynamics and their effects on surface water, groundwater, and vegetation across the Tegeler Fliess catchment in Berlin/Brandenburg from November 2008 to April 2021. The analysis identifies station-specific drought events and their propagation across different parts of the hydrological system.

Objective

• Research question or principal hypothesis: To understand how drought severity affects both surface and groundwater systems, as well as its impact on vegetation health in a peri-urban catchment.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Localized study area with three monitoring sites along the Tegeler Fliess stream.
• Temporal Scale: 13 hydrological years from November 2008 to April 2021.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Standardized Surface Water Level Index (SSWLI), Standardized Groundwater Level Index (SGLI).
• Data sources: Daily precipitation measurements, surface water and groundwater level data from regional water management authorities, MODIS NDVI data.

Main Results

• Key findings:
  • Meteorological drought propagated into hydrological and hydrogeological droughts.
  • Station-specific drought events were identified at Schildow, Luebars, and Tegel.
  • Peri-urban area (Tegel) experienced the most extreme and prolonged groundwater droughts.
  • Nature reserve and fen meadow area (Schildow) remained more resilient but faced significant surface water stress.
  • Agricultural land (Luebars) displayed variability in both surface and groundwater responses.

Contributions

• Original value of the article with respect to existing literature: This study provides a comprehensive analysis of drought dynamics and their effects on surface water, groundwater, and vegetation health in a peri-urban catchment, highlighting the need for localized drought management strategies tailored to both surface and groundwater resources.

Funding

• List projects, programs, and reference codes that funded this research:
  • Not specified.

Citation

@article{Franke2026Drought,
  author = {Franke, Polina and Goswami, Aryan and Somogyvári, Márk},
  title = {Drought propagation and ecosystem resilience in a peri-urban catchment of Berlin-Brandenburg},
  journal = {Natural hazards and earth system sciences},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.5194/nhess-26-3617-2026},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-3617-2026}
}