Planning for Drought

The Basics of Drought Planning: A 10-Step Process

Step 1: Appoint a Drought Task Force

The drought planning process is initiated through appointment of a drought task force by the governor. The task force has two purposes. First, the task force supervises and coordinates development of the plan. Second, after the plan is developed and during times of drought when the plan is activated, the task force coordinates actions, implements mitigation and response programs, and makes policy recommendations to the governor. The task force is encouraged to oversee development of a website that would contain information about the planning process, a copy of the plan, and current climate and water supply information.

The task force should reflect the multidisciplinary nature of drought and its impacts, and it should include representatives of both state and federal government agencies and universities (e.g., representatives from extension, climatologists, policy specialists, planners). A representative from the governor's office should be a member of the task force. Environmental and public interest groups and others from the private sector, including industries, can be included on the task force, and/or on sector-specific working groups of the risk assessment committee, or an advisory council, or they can be otherwise involved, as appropriate. The actual makeup of this task force would be highly variable between states, reflecting the state's political and economic character.

Depending on the nature of recent experiences with drought, the task force may find itself in the public spotlight from the outset, or it may work in relative obscurity. No matter what the initial level of public attention is, the task force needs to incorporate people who know how to conduct effective two-way communication with the public. Ideally, the task force should include or have access to a public information official who is familiar with local media's needs and preferences and a public participation practitioner who can help establish processes that accommodate both well-funded and disadvantaged groups.

On to Step 2
Back to the 10-Step Process