Planning for Drought: A Methodology

Abstract

Developing a national or provincial drought policy and plan is a complicated but essential first step toward a reduction of societal vulnerability. Until recently, nations had devoted little effort toward drought planning, preferring instead the crisis management approach. Presently, an increasing number of nations are pursuing a more proactive approach that emphasizes the principles of risk management and sustainable development. Because of the multitude of impacts associated with drought and the numerous governmental agencies that have responsibility for some aspect of monitoring, assessment, mitigation, and planning, developing a policy and plan must be an integrated process within and between levels of government. This chapter outlines in considerable detail a generic process that can be adopted by governments that desire to develop a more comprehensive approach to drought management.