Drought and Health in the Context of Public Engagement

Droughts have profoundly affected societies around the world for thousands of years.  In recent years alone, the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) estimates that more than one billion people were affected by drought between 1994 and 2013.  Because of the characteristics of drought, drought impacts are often difficult to identify and quantify, and this is especially true of public health-oriented drought impacts, including those resulting from low water quantities, poor water quality, mental health and stress, dust and windblown agents, and wildlife intrusion.  However, when officials emphasize adopting a proactive risk management approach to address drought, the opportunities for reducing future public health impacts increase.  This chapter provides an overview of drought and describes drought risk management.  The chapter ends with several case studies illustrating how public engagement can greatly assist in preparing a region for droughts.  Preparedness for drought is important as the competition for finite water resources increases coupled with potential changes to drought frequency and severity may increase resulting from climate change.