Constructing a framework for national drought policy: The way forward – The way Australia developed and implemented the national drought policy

Abstract

Australia has the world׳s highest levels of year to year climatic variability with drought a naturally occurring component of this variability, but which may also occasionally persist for many years. Over the past 40 years climate science has provided a major contribution to improved understanding of the reasons for this high level of climatic variability with advances in seasonal forecasting research providing incentives for primary producers to adopt a more self-reliant approach to their farming operations, including drought preparedness. Over 20 major scientific publications pointed to aspects of the key climatic mechanisms – mainly associated with the El Niño phenomenon – that were now known to be responsible for drought events in Australia. Some of these publications also pointed to the means of forecasting such extreme climate events which implied the potential to prepare for drought events. Coincident enhancement of farming technologies over this period further enabled producers to create more drought resilient systems. Australian Governments have also provided many incentives to improve self-reliance and farm management and so assist preparedness for the poorer (drought) seasons and years when they occur. Government policy development over this period has been conducted with an awareness of all these factors and has therefore been able to provide changes in drought assistance through new policy endeavours that are probably unequalled in the world. This paper presents insights to the scientific, technological, and policy aspects of managing drought in Australia.