Planning for Drought

The Basics of Drought Planning: A 10-Step Process

Step 3: Seek Stakeholder Participation and Resolve Conflict

Social, economic, and environmental values often clash as competition for scarce water resources intensifies. Therefore, it is essential for task force members to identify all citizen groups that have a stake in drought planning (stakeholders) and their interests. These groups must be involved early and continuously in order for there to be fair representation and effective drought management and planning. Discussing concerns early in the process gives participants a chance to develop an understanding of one another’s various viewpoints, and to generate collaborative solutions. Although the level of involvement of these groups will vary notably from state to state, the power of public interest groups in policy making is considerable. In fact, these groups are likely to impede progress in the development of plans if they are not included in the process. The task force should also protect the interests of stakeholders who may lack the financial resources to serve as their own advocates.

Public participation takes many forms. Time and money may constrain how actively the task force can solicit input from stakeholders. One way to facilitate public participation is to establish a citizen’s advisory council as a permanent feature of the drought plan, to help the task force keep information flowing and resolve conflicts between stakeholders. Another way is to invite stakeholders to serve on working groups of the risk assessment committee.

States should also consider whether district or regional advisory councils need to be established. These councils could bring neighbors together to discuss their water use issues and problems and seek collaborative solutions. At the state level, a representative of each district council should be included in the membership of the state’s citizens’ advisory council to represent the interests and values of their constituencies. The state’s citizens’ advisory council can then make recommendations and express concerns to the task force as well as respond to requests for situation reports and updates.

On to Step 4
Back to the 10-Step Process