Drought Monitoring and Assessment: Status and Trends in the United States

Authors

Donald A. Wilhite, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Michael J. Hayes, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Mark Svoboda, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2000

Citation

Published in Drought and Drought Mitigation in Europe, edited by Jürgen V. Vogt and Francesca Somma, pp. 149–160 (Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2000).

Comments

Copyright © 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Abstract

Drought is a normal, recurring feature of climate. The characteristics of this hazard, along with its far-reaching impacts, make its effects on society, economy, and environment difficult to identify and quantify. A national drought watch system has been recommended as a necessary component of drought assessment and management. The National Drought Mitigation Center, in collaboration with others, has undertaken a number of drought watch activities for the past few years, using a variety of resources available over the Internet. These resources include tools such as the Standardized Precipitation Index, a new drought index that is more reliable for detecting emerging drought conditions.