Table of Contents - National Drought Mitigation Center - The ...

1. IntroductIon
The National Integrated Drought Information System
(NIDIS) Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-430) prescribes an
interagency approach for drought monitoring, forecasting,
and early warning. Led by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this approach will
be developed through the consolidation of physical/hydrological
and socio-economic impacts data, engaging those
affected by drought, the integration of observing networks,
the development of a suite of drought decision support and
simulation tools, and the interactive delivery of standardized
products through an internet portal. NIDIS is envisioned
to be a dynamic and accessible drought risk information
system that provides users with the capacity to determine
the potential impacts of drought, and the decision support
tools needed to better prepare for and mitigate the effects
of drought.
The National Drought Policy Commission (2000) observed
that the United States would benefit from development of a
national drought policy with preparedness as its core. The
Commission lays out the characteristics of such a coordina-
Box 1: The National Drought Policy Commission
Report (2000)
National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)
tion and preparedness system that would increase the resilience
of the nation and of local communities to drought (Box
1). As requested in the 2004 Western Governors’ Association
(WGA) Report entitled “Creating a Drought Early Warning
System for the 21 st Century: The National Integrated Drought
Information System”, NIDIS is being designed to serve as an
early warning system for drought and drought-related risks
in the 21 st century. With these guidelines in mind, the explicit
goal of the NIDIS Program is to enable society to respond
to periods of short-term and sustained drought through
improved monitoring,
prediction, risk assessment,
and communication.
Over the next
five years, NIDIS will
focus on coordinating
disparate federal, state,
a nd loca l d roug ht
early warning and
planning. As part of
this effort, NIDIS will
act as a clearinghouse
for drought mitigation
The National Drought Policy Act of 1998 established the National Drought Policy Commission to provide advice and
recommendations on the creation of an integrated, coordinated federal policy designed to prepare and respond to serious
drought emergencies. The Commission’s report was issued in May 2000, and served as a basis for the NIDIS plan. Two key
concepts were outlined in the Commission Report:
Preparedness
Preparedness is a fundamental concept in any national drought policy. Preparedness includes drought planning,
implementation of proactive mitigation measures, and public education. The Commission report found that preparedness can
reduce the social, economic, and environmental impacts of drought and the need for federal emergency relief expenditures
in drought-stricken areas. Proactive mitigation activities, such as water conservation, science-based forest management,
reuse of wastewater, desalination, pricing strategies, and the identification of back-up water supplies—when initiated before
an emergency—can reduce vulnerability to drought events. A variety of entities are engaged in some form of drought
preparedness. These include individuals, citizen organizations, local and state governments, tribes, and regional bodies.
Often, this planning is conducted within the framework of comprehensive water management planning by entities ranging
from water districts and large multi-county urban areas to state water resources agencies and regional river basin compacts
and commissions. Preparedness measures can reduce the need for future emergency financial and other relief. Individuals,
businesses, local/county/state governments, tribes, and nongovernmental organizations with an interest in or responsibilities
for drought management would benefit from training and technical assistance to plan for and reduce the impacts of drought.
Coordination
Currently, a coordinated and integrated drought research program does not exist at the national level, despite the enormous
impact of droughts every year on the nation’s economy, society, and the environment. This fact sets drought apart from other
major natural disasters, which have sustained federal research programs and significant interagency coordination. Currently,
drought research is scattered across many agencies, universities, and other research institutions, without formal coordination
or planning to maximize the value of the research dollars spent, and without effort to ensure that the priority needs of the
public and decisionmakers are being addressed. In addition to water resources and agriculture, effective coordination plans
would evaluate drought programs to identify and address priority impacts on environmental services and, where possible,
improve proactive mitigation of drought’s impacts on the environment through training, incentives, technical assistance,
research, and public education.
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