Mitigating Drought

Mitigating drought—taking actions in advance of drought to reduce its long-term risk—can involve a wide range of tools. These tools include policies, activities, plans, and programs.

The last 20 years have seen significant progress in proactive drought management in the United States, much of it at the state level. This section provides an overview of the tools that the states and various government agencies have used in recent droughts, a number of state drought plans (and analyses of some of those plans), the NDMC’s 10-step drought planning process, and links to many other related sites.

Mitigation Tools for States Case studies and lists of mitigation tactics used by states are presented here.
The Status of State Drought Plans U.S. states have taken the lead in creating drought plans since the 1980s. This discussion includes a map showing which states have drought plans.
The Basics of Drought Planning: A 10-Step Process This NDMC white paper is a good starting point for those new to drought planning. It is also available as a pdf file.
State Drought Plans and Related Documents The NDMC maintains a list of links to drought plans from a number of U.S. states.
Overview of Selected State Drought Plans—Idaho, Missouri, Montana, New York, Washington
Directory of Drought Contacts Use this list to find drought planners in other U.S. states and regions.
Federal and Regional Drought Mitigation Tools Case studies of selected federal and regional organizations with responsibility for drought response.
Links to Drought Mitigation Tools for Agricultural Producers

Water Conservation Links

Other Links