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The webinar, funded by NIDIS and hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) Water Policy Center, will welcome state and local experts for a panel discussion on how to reduce drought impacts for the most vulnerable sectors.

The workshop will provide guidance on developing or updating local hazard mitigation plans to meet the requirements for FEMA assistance. NIDIS will talk about drought as one hazard that should be considered during the planning effort, highlight data and resources on the U.S. Drought Portal to aid planners in their drought risk assessment, and join a panel on Federal Resources for Hazard Planning. 

The 2017 Northern Plains flash drought’s swift onset and severity were not forecasted, and it resulted in fires that burned 4.8 million acres and U.S. agricultural losses in excess of $2.6 billion dollars. Episodes like this have sparked intense interest in flash drought and a clear conceptualization of what it is in both the research community and the end user/applications community

What does drought look like in Alaska? Limited climate data in the state cannot tell us when streams are so low fish cannot pass or when flowing water is insufficient to operate hydropower. These webinars seek to gather local knowledge and better understand the challenges of drought to food security, energy systems, and more.

The four-part webinar series, taking place in February and March, seeks to raise awareness of ecological drought, share actions that strengthen ecosystem resilience and mitigate the impacts of droughts, and discuss research and management needs for future drought planning and preparedness.