Planning for Drought

The Basics of Drought Planning: A 10-Step Process

Step 8: Implement the Plan

Once the task force and any external constituencies have agreed on the plan, the task force and/or its designated representatives should oversee implementation of both the short-term operational aspects of the plan and long-term mitigation measures. Periodic testing, evaluation, and updating of the drought plan will help keep the plan responsive to state needs. An ongoing or operational evaluation keeps track of how societal changes such as new technology, new research, new laws, and changes in political leadership may affect drought risk and the operational aspects of the drought plan. Drought risk may be evaluated quite frequently while the overall drought plan may be evaluated less often. An evaluation under simulated drought conditions (i.e., drought exercise) is recommended before the drought plan is implemented and periodically thereafter. The virtual drought exercise developed in association with a recent national study conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Werick and Whipple, 1994) is one mechanism that has been used to simulate drought conditions and related decisions. It is important to remember that drought planning is a process, not a discrete event.

Long-term mitigation measures, such as implementing policies that require conjunctive use of ground and surface water, may require drafting new legislation and finding funds to support new monitoring and regulation efforts. In any case, it is essential to recognize that reducing long-term vulnerability to drought will require a sustained effort, although it may be a matter of long-term programs undertaken by a variety of agencies.

On to Step 9
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