UNDERSTANDING DROUGHT A Slow-Onset, Natural Phenomenon That Can Happen Anywhere

1. UNDERSTANDING DROUGHTA Slow-Onset, Natural Phenomenon That Can Happen Anywhere PRIMER OF KNOWLEDGE THAT CAN MULTIPLY AND SPILL OVER FOR THE BENEFIT OF MILLIONS Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of North Carolina, USA

2. BACKGROUND

3. OUR WORLD IS AT RISK FROM: • TSUNAMIS • DROUGHTS • VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS • WILDFIRES

4. Drought– A Natural Phenomenon That Can Cause Disasters Planet Earth’s atmospheric-oceanic-lithospheric interactions cause: DROUGHTS • Droughts

5. DROUGHT is an extreme environmental condition that is characterized by an absence of precipitation in the local and regional water cycle as a consequence of the physical interactions of elements of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere.

6. CHARACTERISTICS OF DROUGHT • SLOW ONSET • DIVERSE IN LOCATION AND DURATION • DIFFICULT TO MEASURE THE SOCIETAL IMPACTS

7. DROUGHT IN USA: 2012

8. DROUGHT IN TEXAS: 2011

9. DROUGHT IN CHINA: 2007

10. DROUGHT IN AFRICA: 2007

11. SHORTAGE OF FOOD: 2007

12. DROUGHT: EAST AFRICA; 2007

13. EQUIPPING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL “HELPING HANDS TEAMS” FOR ACTION DURING TIMES OF DROUGHT Making a Difference When it Really Counts BEING READY IS VITAL

14. HELPING HANDS ARE NEEDED FOR … FOOD, WATER, AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL

15. DROUGHT HAZARDS

16. DROUGHT HAZARDS (AKA Potential disaster Agents) • HIGH TEMPERATURES • VERY LOW HUMIDITY • LOSS OF SOIL MOISTURE • VANISHING STREAMS, LAKES, AND WATER TABLES

17. DROUGHT LINKAGES Drought is typically linked to wildfires, loss of water quantity and quality, and famine (sometimes). These linkages can lead to major loss of life of people and animals, loss of livelihoods, and loss of habitats.

18. LOS ANGELES RIVER DRYING UP: SUMMER 2007 .

19. ELBE RIVER, GERMANY, IS DRYING UP: SUMMER, 2007

20. VANISHING LAKE: GHANA

21. DROUGHT RISKS

22. HAZARDS EXPOSURE VULNERABILITY LOCATION ELEMENTS OF RISK RISK

23. CAUSES OF RISK PROLONGED LACK OF PRECIPITATION LOSS OF SOIL MOSTURE LOSS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY DEPLETION/POLLUTION OF GROUND WATER DROUGHTS LOSS OF VEGETATION DISASTER LABORATORIES INSECT INFESTATION LOSS OF AG. LAND FROM DESERTIFICATION

24. E DECREASE IN WATER QUALITY DECREASE IN WATER QUANTITY SUSCEPTIBILITY TO WILDFIRES ECONOMIC LOSS; FAMINE; DEATHS UNACCEPTABLE RISK RISK

25. DROUGHT RISKS (A SLOW ONSET NATURAL HAZARD) • Loss of life (People and animals) • Loss of livelihoods and habitats • Loss of agricultural land (e.g., from desertification) • Reductions in water quantity and quality

26. 1/6 OF WORLD’S POPULATION AFFECTED BY DESERTIFICATION

27. FACILITATING DISASTER RISK REDUCTION EMERGING TECNOLOGIES

28. HEAR UNDER-STAND IDENT-IFY FROM EDUCATION TO KNOWLEDGE TO APPLICATION PERIOD OF IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD OF INTEGRATION WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY APPLI-CATIONS PERSON-ALIZE

29. DROUGHT HAZARDS • LOCATIONS • MONITORING • ADAPTATION • MITIGATION • PREPAREDNESS RISK ASSESSMENT POLICY OPTIONS ACCEPTABLE RISK RISK UNACCEPTABLE RISK DROUGHT DISASTER RISK REDUCTION DATA BASES AND INFORMATION COMMUNITY HAZARDS: GROUND SHAKING GROUND FAILURE SURFACE FAULTING TECTONIC DEFORMATION TSUNAMI RUN UP AFTERSHOCKS

30. WEATHER FORECASTS MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES (E.G., REMOTE SENSING) WARNING SYSTEMS DATABASES FOR PAST DROUGHTS COMPUTER MODELS OF DROUGHT MAPS DISASTER SCENARIOS HAZARD ASSESSMENT RISK ASSESSMENT EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR DROUGHTS

31. PURPOSE IDENTIFICATION OF DROUGHT PRECURSORS ALERT AND WARNING TECHNIQUE REMOTE SENSING; SITE-SPECIFIC MONITORING; MODELING PUBLIC AWARENESS; EDUCATION DISASTER RISK REDUCTION FOR DROUGHT

32. PURPOSE PROTECT WATER QUANTITY PROTECT WATER QUALITY TECHNIQUE RESERVOIRS; CONSERVATION ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING DISASTER RISK REDUCTION FOR DROUGHT

33. PURPOSE LAND-USE CONTROL ADAPTATION TO THE SITUATION TECHNIQUE DROUGHT-RESISTANT CROPS AND VEGETATION COMMUNITY RESPONSE PLAN DISASTER RISK REDUCTION FOR DROUGHT