National Drought Forum Summary Report and Priority Actions 2012
On December 12-13, 2012, the National Drought Forum was held at the Hall of States in Washington, D.C. The Forum was planned and coordinated by the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Program Office, a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Forum was co-sponsored by the following agencies and organizations:
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- Midwestern Governors Association (MGA)
- National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Southern Governors’ Association (SGA)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
- Western Governors’ Association (WGA)
The primary goals for the National Drought Forum were to understand the extent of 2012 drought impacts and response, and help provide new information and guidance for coordination to improve the nation’s preparedness for drought and more specifically, enhance drought readiness for 2013 and beyond. The Forum convened high-level drought experts and stakeholders from impacted regions from all levels of government and the private sector, including federal, state, tribal, and local governments, and research institutions.
The result was a candid and enlightening conversation that produced a list of ‘action items’ that could improve U.S. drought readiness and resilience. Action Items were subsequently organized under five key themes: I. Drought and Water Supply Monitoring and Prediction
II. Communications
III. Preparedness Planning
IV. Reducing the Risk, Mitigating the Impacts and Adapting to the Future
V. National Investments and Opportunities
