Drought Policy Research Articles

Community, Communion, and Drought in Rural Australia

Australia's rural communities have traditionally exhibited characteristics of community and, at times, communion as their members have united in collective action. However, community has been dependent on the maintenance of a balance between forces that ensure social solidarity and those that would promote division. The definition of drought and changes to government policies for drought draw attention to this balance by threatening the status of drought as a cultural symbol and a common threat that has provided a bond for rural communities. Moreover, while drought is diminishing as a source of social cohesion, drought policies, along with economic decline, are creating conditions that foster social division. Results are reported here of focus groups and an interview survey to assess threats to rural local community in the context of deteriorating economic and environmental conditions in rural Australia. This research reveals complex tensions between factors that bind communities and the socially disruptive effects of changes enforced by drought conditions and government policies.

RESPONDING TO DROUGHT: COMMON THREADS FROM THE PAST, VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE

ABSTRACT: A number of studies conducted since the late 1970s have evaluated state and federal responses to drought in the United States. Each of these studies identified a number of key issues and impediments that needed to be addressed to improve the nation's ability to cope with and prepare for future episodes of drought. A content analysis of these studies was performed to identify common threads in their recommendations. The premise of this analysis was that the series of drought years that occurred between 1986 and 1992 and recurred between 1994 and 1996 increased awareness of our nation's continuing and apparent growing vulnerability to drought. This awareness has led to greater consensus among principal constituents and stakeholders, and also a greater sense of urgency to implement actions now to lessen vulnerability. The results of this analysis revealed that several themes recur: create an integrated national drought policy and plan; develop an integrated national climate monitoring (drought watch) system; incorporate drought in FEMA's National Mitigation Strategy; conduct post-drought audits of response efforts; establish regional drought forums; and encourage development of state drought mitigation plans.

COMMONWEALTH DROUGHT POLICY: 1989–1995. A CASE STUDY OF ECONOMIC RATIONALISM

Drought is a natural phenomenon that has particular implications for a primary industry, namely farmers. This paper examines the policy responses of the early 1990s. It is argued that these were driven more by political expedience than careful planning. In conclusion, it is suggested that drought policy shows one issue on which it was necessary to reverse, if only partially, the ‘economic rationalism’ that had dominated thinking in the 1980s.

The Social Context of Perceived Drought Vulnerability1

Abstract This paper examines perceptions of drought vulnerability among residents of the southern San Joaquin Valley portion of Kern County, California. The area is unique in the western United States because of its complex water delivery infrastructure and its intensive level of agricultural production supported by agricultural labor. The area is interesting to rural sociologists because it was part of Goldschmidt's research on the social implications of agribusiness. We argue that the relationship between resource production and social stratification suggested by Goldschmidt's research presents some important implications for understanding perceptions of resource scarcity in the present day. We explore perceptions of drought vulnerability by several dimensions of stratification—primary occupation, location of residence, length of residence, household income, and racial/ethnic background. While our findings illustrate that agricultural owners/operators perceive the greatest levels of concern about severe drought, the unique character of agricultural production in the area is related to perceptions of vulnerability among broader segments of the local population. The findings suggest that dependence upon existing water utilization patterns may present substantial obstacles to effective drought policy and planning.

Water Supplies and Nationwide Drought of 1988

Findings of a survey about experiences managing public water supplies during the drought of 1988 are reported. Responses were obtained from 408 of the 501 large utilities in the United States to whom the questionnaire was sent. Although the news media correctly portrayed the drought of 1988 as being serious in some regions of the country, the fact that one‐half of all urban water utilities called for conservation revealed very widespread impacts. About one‐half of the utilities had ordinances or other written drought policies. Only 28% of the reporting utilities had a technicaal report, computer program, or some other form of technical support for triggering conservation. Managers were generally pleased with their decisions, but the existence of technical support increased their level of satisfaction.

Drought policy and drought planning in Africa

The Sahelian droughts of 1968–73 and 1982–84 and their disastrous consequences compelled the people of Africa to focus on the problem of drought menace. Drought cannot be prevented, but there are possibilities of predicting it to provide the necessary information for early warning and prepardness. Individual countries also need a drought policy which expresses the criteria forming the foundation of governmental actions in drought mitigation and relief. As an offshoot of policy objectives, well‐articulated plans for drought prevention, preparedness and management are also needed by African nations, possibly within the framework provided by the current International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR).

DROUGHT POLICY IN THE U.S. AND AUSTRALIA: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS1

ABSTRACT: Federal and state governments in the United States and Australia have come to play a key role in attempts to mitigate the impact of drought. Government actions have usually taken the form of loans and grants to individual citizens, businesses and municipalities experiencing the hardship of drought. Most of these actions have occurred in an environment of crisis management, rather than as a result of clearly stated policy objectives. Based on a review and evaluation of recent drought policy in the United States and Australia, recommendations are offered on ways to improve the United States’approach. A national drought plan is suggested as an efficient mechanism through which these recommendations could be implemented. States should also become more actively involved in drought assessment and response, but these actions must be coordinated with federal actions.

Drought relief schemes for the 'Pastoral Zone'.

In this article I have attempted to firstly provide a consensus view of graziers to sound drought strategies; secondly, outline Government policies or action directed towards assisting graziers affected by drought; and finally, address the subject of drought policy as it relates to conservation of the rangeland resource. Drought strategies discussed include pre-drought (e.g. fodder reserves, conservative stocking), longer term (e.g. increasing property size, spatial diversification of grazing blocks) and in-drought (e.g. reduce stock numbers early in drought). Grounds for Government intervention and aid for drought affected producers are analysed with regard to both the individual farmer's needs and the impact nationally of low return from a drought-affected primary industry. Aspects discussed include provision of better infrastructure (e.g, new roads), taxation concessions, a National Drought Fodder Reserve, land tenure policy, the Rural Adjust- ment Scheme and credit and freight concessions. From the conservation viewpoint, it is pointed out that officially declared 'droughts' occur too frequently and there are no incentives for graziers to either act early before a drought becomes firmly established or to delay re-stocking after the drought has broken. It is concluded that a balance between in-drought assistance and long term assistance needs to be struck, and that drought policies should be directed towards 'good' management strategies. If this can be achieved then primary producers should be less dependent on relief schemes.