Vision into Action: The Establishment and Facilitation of an Effective Drought Coordinator Network in the United States

The Implementation Plan for the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) outlines the governance structure, priorities, and operational requirements necessary to meet their objectives regarding the creation of a proactive, federal drought initiative. Five technical working groups were created as part of the governance structure for NIDIS implementation: Public Awareness and Education, Engaging Preparedness Communities, Integrated Monitoring and Forecasting, Interdisciplinary Research and Applications, and the U.S. Drought Portal. As a co-chair, the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) has undertaken the task of developing projects and identifying needs related to the Engaging Preparedness Communities (EPC) Working Group. In 2008, NIDIS sponsored a national Drought Early Warning System workshop that was held in Kansas City. The primary purpose of this workshop was to provide a two-way connection between the drought managers around the country and the scientists and policy makers, which provided guidelines for the EPC Working Group to address. Eight areas were identified by the workshop participants that deserve further study: 1) resource-based drought planning guides, 2) practice drought exercises and post-drought assessments, 3) drought plans that consider the diversity of water users, 4) strategies that cope with uncertainty, 5) integration of science and policy, 6) cultural and regional considerations, 7) coordination across boundaries, and 8) accounting and planning for sustainability. This poster aims to capture the near- and long-term goals of addressing these areas through a series of surveys and webinars, and eventually a workshop, that are intended to facilitate communication through public participation methods among drought communities from the federal to the local level. This research is intended to fulfill the objectives of the EPC Working Group that were laid out in the aforementioned NIDIS Implementation Plan. Ultimately, it is expected that results from this research will help establish an effective trans-boundary network of drought contacts, specific case studies, current and available resources, and future areas of collaboration and resource sharing.