Description:

How do we accurately identify drought in the western United States in the context of climate change and overall aridification? Do we need to shift the paradigm for drought in the West? Most of the western U.S., including Montana to New Mexico, is experiencing the region's most extreme megadrought in at least 1,200 years. While back-to-back La Niñas were likely the main contributor to drought over the last two years, when considering the last two decades, climate change is a key driver intensifying this megadrought. The Plains of the U.S. from the Dakotas down to Texas, are also experiencing more frequent and intense droughts. These events have caused significant impacts to agricultural and livestock production, water supply, and wildfire activity, as well as ecosystem services, recreation and tourism, and navigation, to name a few. This Town Hall session will highlight the recent challenges to assessing and managing drought in the Western U. S. (generally defined as west of the Mississippi River), and provide evidence for a need for a shifting paradigm for drought. The session will then open up for general discussion on the implications of this new paradigm for both research and policy. For instance, how do we accurately identify drought in the western states in the context of climate change and overall aridification? What other research does this new paradigm suggest is needed? And what are federal agencies and other organizations doing—and what more could they do—to adequately address the drought issues in the western U.S.?