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Social and Political Aspects of Drought
The Robert E. Horton Lecture, presented at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the AMS, San Antonio, Tex., 14 January 1982
In the technical sense, drought is a period of deficient precipitation. The social and economic impact of drought results from the effect of this precipitation deficiency on activities within the affected region. Thus, the way in which water is used and water resources are managed has much to do with the frequency of drought as it is viewed by the population. Prudent water management can greatly reduce the impact of meteorological drought, while poor management can make water shortages a frequent occurrence.
In the technical sense, drought is a period of deficient precipitation. The social and economic impact of drought results from the effect of this precipitation deficiency on activities within the affected region. Thus, the way in which water is used and water resources are managed has much to do with the frequency of drought as it is viewed by the population. Prudent water management can greatly reduce the impact of meteorological drought, while poor management can make water shortages a frequent occurrence.
This article is a brief survey of topics of mutual interest in hydrology and meteorology intended primarily for the members of these two professions whose special interests are somewhat removed from the common ground. The last decade has seen substantial progress in our understanding of the water balance and in our ability to put this knowledge to use. A rapidly expanding world population with a correspondingly rapid increase in water requirements for human, industrial, and agricultural uses during the next few decades will require still further efforts to increase our knowledge and develop solutions to new water problems.
This article is a brief survey of topics of mutual interest in hydrology and meteorology intended primarily for the members of these two professions whose special interests are somewhat removed from the common ground. The last decade has seen substantial progress in our understanding of the water balance and in our ability to put this knowledge to use. A rapidly expanding world population with a correspondingly rapid increase in water requirements for human, industrial, and agricultural uses during the next few decades will require still further efforts to increase our knowledge and develop solutions to new water problems.
