Abstract
Drought impact assessments are conducted for a variety of reasons and by a number of different approaches. Drought can occur in various degrees of severity and on numerous temporal and spatial scales. This chapter focuses on assessing sensitivities and adjustments to climate impacts on water supply management in the western United States. It argues that the initial step in performing an agricultural drought impact assessment is to specify what is meant by the term agricultural drought. To identify points of potential drought sensitivity, water systems should first be examined to produce a resource profile. Physical characteristics of the raw water resource, and the basic relationship between supply and use, determine overall system sensitivity to drought. Drought stress and/or system failure should lead to adjustment. Changes in water system drought sensitivity, differences in response to different periods of drought, and changes in underlying water allocation protocols all complicate the process of assessing the impact of drought on water supply.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Planning for Drought |
| Subtitle of host publication | Toward A Reduction of Societal Vulnerability |
| Publisher | Taylor and Francis |
| Pages | 189-213 |
| Number of pages | 25 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781000232257 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780367282981 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2019 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Social Sciences