Over the last century, droughts have caused more deaths internationally than any other weather-related disaster (floods, hurricanes, etc.). Droughts in the United States, however, are not generally thought of as public health threats, even though there are known associations between droughts and negative health outcomes. The often slow onset of drought, compared to other extreme events, makes it difficult to identify the direct linkages between the physical characteristics of drought and societal impacts, as well as impacts that occur after a drought has ended. Recent extreme droughts in the United States caused significant human health outcomes, including decreased water quantity and quality across small water systems, coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) outbreaks in the southwestern United States, increased mortality rates associated with drought, and adverse mental health outcomes as livelihoods are challenged.
By understanding linkages between droughts and human health, we can properly prepare our public health agencies for the health impacts associated with droughts, which, in turn, can reduce health risks and save lives. We seek abstract submissions that investigate the linkages between the physical drivers of drought to the impacts on human health. We encourage submissions to not only be related research, but also applications, such as by public health officials, of such knowledge to reduce health impacts, as well as research that connects to other related climate hazards (such as heat waves and wildfires) connected to public health.
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