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Drought is a hazard that inflicts costly damage to agricultural, hydrologic, and ecological systems and affects human health and prosperity. A comprehensive assessment of resilience to the drought hazard in various communities and an identification of the main variables that affect resilience is crucial to coping with the hazard and promoting resilience. This study assessed the community resilience to drought hazards of all 503 counties of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas using the resilience inference measurement (RIM) model for the period of 2000 to 2015. Through k-means cluster analysis, stepwise discriminant analysis (74.7 percent accuracy, 72.8 percent leave-one-out cross-validation accuracy), and regression analysis (adjusted R2 = 0.69), four variables (significant at p < 0.05) representing the social, economic, agriculture, and health sectors were identified as the main resilience indicators. Higher resilience counties were found in central Oklahoma and eastern Texas, with the few highest counties located near large metropolitan areas such as Dallas, Houston, Austin, and Albuquerque. Lower resilience counties were concentrated in western Texas. The study provides useful insights into the relationship between drought incidence, inflicted damage, and community resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future hydrological extremes, such as floods and droughts, may pose serious threats for the livelihoods in the upstream domains of the Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra. For this reason, the impacts of climate change on future hydrological extremes is investigated in these river basins. We use a fully-distributed cryospheric-hydrological model to simulate current and future hydrological fluxes and force the model with an ensemble of 8 downscaled General Circulation Models (GCMs) that are selected from the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The model is calibrated on observed daily discharge and geodetic mass balances. The climate forcing and the outputs of the hydrological model are used to evaluate future changes in climatic extremes, and hydrological extremes by focusing on high and low flows. The outcomes show an increase in the magnitude of climatic means and extremes towards the end of the 21st century where climatic extremes tend to increase stronger than climatic means. Future mean discharge and high flow conditions will very likely increase. These increases might mainly be the result of increasing precipitation extremes. To some extent temperature extremes might also contribute to increasing discharge extremes, although this is highly dependent on magnitude of change in temperature extremes. Low flow conditions may occur less frequently, although the uncertainties in low flow projections can be high. The results of this study may contribute to improved understanding on the implications of climate change for the occurrence of future hydrological extremes in the Hindu Kush–Himalayan region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate and weather have been linked to criminal activity. The connection between climatological conditions and crime is of growing importance as we seek to understand the societal implications of climate change. This study describes the mechanisms theorized to link annual variations in climate to crime in California and examines the effect of drought on statewide crime rates from 2011–2015. California has suffered severe drought since 2011, resulting in intensely dry winters and several of the hottest days on record. It is likely that the drought increased economic stress and shifted routine activities of the population, potentially increasing the likelihood of crime. We used a synthetic control method to estimate the impact of California’s drought on both property and violent crimes. We found a significant increase in property crimes during the drought, but no effect on violent crimes. This result was robust to several sensitivity analyses, including a negative control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I present new evidence from Africa that droughts are an important component of long-run variation in health human capital. Using Census data, I estimate effects of early childhood drought exposure on later-life disabilities among South Africans confined to homelands during apartheid. By exploiting 40 years of quasi-random variation in local droughts experienced by different cohorts in different districts, I find that drought exposure in infancy raises later-life disability rates by 3.5-5.2%, with effects concentrated in physical and mental disabilities, and largest for males. My findings are relevant for low-income settings where avoiding droughts through migration is costly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an overview of issues related to the estimation of drought severity, the vulnerability of affected systems towards the drought hazards, the assessment of system drought risk and the required preparedness planning against droughts. To face these recurrent and temporary phenomena, a proactive approach is promoted based on technocratic support, systematic organisational and institutional structure and active public participation. Special emphasis is given to the simple and practical approaches, though scientifically sound, for the characterisation of drought episodes and the assessment of drought risk affected systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Droughts in the southeast USA have been linked to economic losses and intractable water conflicts. The region has witnessed several severe droughts events during the period from 1901 to 2005. In this study, spatiotemporal variability in meteorological drought characteristics in the southeast were analyzed using two different datasets by the means of standard precipitation index and standard precipitation evapotranspiration index for the period 1901-2005 for agricultural and non-agricultural seasons. The study periods were divided into three epochs 1901-1935, 1936-1970, and 1971-2005 and drought characteristics, in terms of severity, frequency, number, and trends were analyzed. Additionally, areal extent, drought severities and return periods associated with three severe drought years 1904, 1954, and 2000 were analyzed. Except for the state of Florida, results indicate decrease in drought severity during the recent epoch of 1970-2005 in the study domain. Trend analysis confirms that the study domain has become wetter over the last 105 years. Wetting trends were more prominent in the agricultural season. Additionally, droughts seem to have migrated from the western part of the study area encompassing the states of Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi to the Florida panhandle region during the recent epoch. Droughts exhibited higher spatiotemporal variability during the agricultural season compared to the non-agricultural seasons. Results also showed that early to mid-1950s experienced some of the most severe droughts in the study domain. Some of the drought events, such as the drought of 1954 and 2000, have been equivalent to a 100-year drought event in the southeast. The results from this study form the benchmark for studying the impacts of future climate change projections on meteorological droughts in the southeast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Countryside is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The main objective of this work was to provide the chronology of physiological and metabolic alterations occurring under drought and demonstrate how these relate to a phenotypic approach (infrared thermal imaging, IRT). This should provide tools to tailor phenotyping approaches for drought tolerance and underlying metabolic alterations. In the present study, destructive analysis of growth and cell morphology, water status, osmotic adjustment, metabolic changes and membrane damage were combined with non-destructive determination of leaf temperature using infrared thermography (IRT) in 6-week-old sugar beets subjected to progressive drought stress and subsequent rewatering. Different methods were suitable for the characterisation of the dynamic development of distinct stress phases: although IRT allowed detection of initial impairment of transpiration within 1 day of drought stress, destructive methods allowed us to distinguish a phase of metabolic adjustment including redirection of carbon flow into protective mechanisms and a subsequent phase of membrane destabilisation and cellular damage. Only the combination of invasive and non-invasive methods allowed for the differentiation of the complete sequence of physiological changes induced by drought stress. This could be especially beneficial for the selection of phenotypes that are adapted to early drought. During rewatering, sugar beet shoots rapidly re-established water relations, but membrane damage and partial stomatal closure persisted longer, which could have an impact on subsequent stress events. During the onset of secondary growth, taproots required more time to recover the water status and to readjust primary metabolites than shoots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development of cities requires robust water supply systems, yet many cities need to resort to ad hoc measures when faced with a drought. This article aims to explore how cities can do better in reducing the risk of water shortage due to drought. To that end, a classification of drought measures in urban water supply systems is proposed, and then applied to 10 cities that recently faced a drought. We find that these cities used a relatively limited number and variety of measures. The classification can help cities evaluate different types of measures for reducing long-term water stress and limit the impact of extreme droughts. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Large and severe wildfires have raised concerns about the future of forested landscapes in the southwestern United States, especially under repeated burning. In 2011, under extreme weather and drought conditions, the Las Conchas fire burned over several previous burns as well as forests not recently exposed to fire. Our purpose was to examine the influences of prior wildfires on plant community composition and structure, subsequent burn severity, and vegetation response. To assess these relationships, we used satellite-derived measures of burn severity and a nonmetric multidimensional scaling of pre-and post-Las Conchas field samples. Earlier burns were associated with shifts from forested sites to open savannas and meadows, oak scrub, and ruderal communities. These non-forested vegetation types exhibited both resistance to subsequent fire, measured by reduced burn severity, and resilience to reburning, measured by vegetation recovery relative to forests not exposed to recent prior fire. Previous shifts toward non-forested states were strongly reinforced by reburning. Ongoing losses of forests and their ecological values confirm the need for restoration interventions. However, given future wildfire and climate projections, there may also be opportunities presented by transformations toward fire-resistant and resilient vegetation types within portions of the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteorological droughts can affect large areas and may have serious environmental, social and economic impacts. These impacts depend on the severity, duration, and spatial extent of the precipitation deficit and the socioeconomic vulnerability of the affected regions. This paper examines the spatiotemporal variation of meteorological droughts in the Haihe River basin. Meteorological droughts events were diagnosed using daily meteorological data from 44 stations by calculating a comprehensive drought index (CI) for the period 1961-2011. Based on the daily CI values of each station over the past 50 years, the drought processes at each station were confirmed, and the severity, duration and frequency of each meteorological drought event were computed and analyzed. The results suggest the following conclusions: (1) the use of the CI index can effectively trace the development of drought and can also identify the duration and severity of each drought event; (2) the average drought duration was 57-85 days in each region of the Haihe River basin, and the region with the highest average values of drought duration and drought severity was Bohai Bay; (3) drought occurred more than 48 times over the study period, which is more than 0.95 times per year over the 50 years studied. The average frequencies of non-drought days, severe drought days and extreme drought days over the study period were 51.2, 3.2 and 0.4 %, respectively. Severe drought events mainly occurred in the south branch of the Hai River, and extreme drought events mainly occurred in the Shandong Peninsula and Bohai Bay; (4) the annual precipitation and potential evapotranspiration of the Haihe River basin show decreasing trends over the past 50 years. The frequency of severe drought and extreme drought events has increased in the past 20 years than during the period 1961-1990. The results of this study may serve as a reference point for decision regarding basin water resources management, ecological recovery and drought hazard vulnerability analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In recent years there has been increasing recognition of the social impact of drought on rural communities. This paper provides an overview of a major mental health program developed [...]

Abstract Climate change awareness has taken a dramatic turn in Australia, intensifying debate over the meaning of prolonged drought for rural futures, with critical implications for rural mental health. This [...]

Abstract Despite prolonged droughts over the last decade across rural South Australia the majority of farmers continue to farm. This research asks the questions, 'what helps them to 'get by'?', [...]

The phrase persistent vulnerability reflects the enduring relationship of the rural population in Ceara with a highly variable climate. Persistence underscores the historical and unyielding nature of this vulnerability. Yet contrary to once-catastrophic rates of mortality etched in a public consciousness, no one dies from severe droughts and few people flee them as in the past. Government relief and social transfers have become the institutionalized form of adaptation, giving way to the counterintuitive reality that drought stabilizes the food and income supply for poor people. We analyze how maladaptive risk reduction, which is embedded in clientilistic social relations, undermines resilience, and we examine pathways toward a more sustainable adaptive relationship. [Keywords: adaptation, clientilism, patronage, resilience, drought] Aplicamos o termo vulnerabilidade persistente para representar a relacao duradoura entre a populacao rural do estado do Ceara e a quadra chuvosa altamente variavel e incerto. Esta persistencia se destaca na inevitabilidade historica desta vulnerabilidade. Ao contrario das epocas de seca catastroficas bem cravadas na consciencia publica do sertanejo cearense, o cenario da seca marcada de morte e fuga nao existe mais. Os programas de emergencia e de protecao social ja se transformaram em formas institucionalizadas de adaptacao, deixando transparecer a realidade ironica que a seca acarreta um periodo de estabilidade de alimentos e renda para a populacao mais necessitada. Aqui avancamos a tese que esta estrategia publica de adaptacao a seca, sendo baseado num clientelismo enraizado, enfraquece a resiliencia fundamental da sociedade face a mudanca climatica. Findamos por examinar os caminhos de adaptacao mais promissores e sustentaveis.

ABSTRACT This paper proposes that, on the Marquesan island of Nuku Hiva, wet cultivation of Colocasia taro was important in initial colonization because it was the most energy-efficient and fastest-producing [...]

It is an unanimously accepted fact that the communities' health state in general and of the individual's in particular is determined and influenced by a cumulus of physicogeographical factors (natural and human), factors more difficult to quantify as a society's structure and functionality is more complex. The starting hypothesis of our study focused on identifying the existence/absence of a causality connection between the lifestyle of the communities in the upper basin of the Moldavian Bistrita (Vatra Dornei town and other ten rural areas) and their health state. If we can't control the release of a storm, drought, landslide, volcano eruption, tsunami, etc., we can't say the same thing about our decisions regarding nutrition, weight control and maintenance, physical and psychical hygiene, the quality of interpersonal relationships, continuous self-development, the attitude towards stressful events, etc., aspects upon which we can fortunately interfere. Our case study confirms once again that the healthy persons' lifestyle is significantly different from that of a person suffering from different medical affections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the role of drought and climate change as triggers of the Syrian uprising that started in March 2011. It frames the 2006–10 drought that struck north-eastern Syria in the context of rapid economic liberalization and long-standing resource mismanagement, and shows that the humanitarian crisis of the late 2000s largely predated the drought period. It argues that focusing on external factors like drought and climate change in the context of the Syrian uprising is counterproductive as it diverts attention from more fundamental political and economic motives behind the protests and shifts responsibility away from the Syrian government. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study investigated the utility of two meta-heuristic algorithms to estimate parameters of copula models and for derivation of drought severity-duration-frequency (S-D-F) curves. Drought is a natural event, which has huge impact on both the society and the natural environment. Drought events are mainly characterized by their severity, duration and intensity. The study adopts standardized precipitation index for drought characterization, and copula method for multivariate risk analysis of droughts. For accurate estimation of copula model parameters, two meta-heuristic methods namely genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization are applied. The proposed methodology is applied to a case study in Trans Pecos, an arid region in Texas, USA. First, drought severity and duration are separately modeled by various probability distribution functions and then the best fitted models are selected for copula modeling. For modeling the joint dependence of drought variables, different classes of copulas, namely, extreme value copulas, Plackett and Student's t copulas are employed and their performance is evaluated using standard performance measures. It is found that for the study region, the Gumbel-Hougaard copula is the best fitted copula model as compared to the others and is used for the development of drought S-D-F curves. Results of the study suggest that the meta-heuristic methods have greater utility in copula-based multivariate risk assessment of droughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper explores the discourse of crisis and personal tragedy surrounding the drought. It draws on the authors' experience as both counsellors for the Australian Government's Drought Hotline and [...]

This paper presents findings of a survey that was primarily intended as (1) an assessment of coping capacity in drought and food insecure conditions and (2) a microfinance program outcome study. A three group cross-sectional survey of 819 households was conducted in May 2003 in two predominantly rural sites in Ethiopia. Established clients of the WISDOM Microfinance Institution were compared with similar incoming clients and community controls. No overall pattern of enhanced prevalence of coping mechanisms was observed in any participant group, suggesting that participation in the lending program did not affect coping capacity at the household level. No significant differences in mean mid-upper arm circumference or prevalence of acute malnutrition were found in males or females when the total sample was assessed. In the primary survey site, Sodo, female clients and their children had significantly better nutritional status than other comparison groups: the odds of malnourishment in female community controls compared to established female clients was 3.2 (95% CI: 1.1-9.8) and the odds of acute malnutrition in children 6-59 months of age were 1.6 times greater in children of both male clients and community controls (95% CI: .78-3.32). Household food security among female client households in Sodo was significantly better than in other comparison groups according to a variety of indicators. As compared to female clients, male clients and community controls, respectively, were 1.94 (95% CI: 1.05-3.66) and 2.08 (95% CI: 1.10-4.00) times more likely to have received food aid during the past year. Findings of the present study suggest that microfinance programs may have an important impact on nutritional status and well-being of female clients and their families. That female clients were significantly less likely to be food aid recipients suggests that microfinance programs may be successful in reducing vulnerability to prolonged drought and food insecurity. Keywords: Microfinance; Credit programs; Ethiopia; Nutrition status; Coping capacity

It has been speculated that the collapse of the Maya civilization in the Yucatan region of Mexico around 900 AD was caused by drought. A 10,000-year simulation with the CSIRO Mark 2 coupled global climatic model has been used to investigate such a possibility. The model replicates sporadic, severe drought over the Yucatan consistent with the above speculation. It was found that these droughts were specifically constrained to the Central American area, with no obvious linkages to other regions. An investigation of the mechanisms associated with rainfall fluctuations over the Yucatan indicates that these were not caused by sea surface temperature variations. Fluctuations in tire intensity of the topographically constrained meridional wind systems located on both the western and eastern coasts of the Americas were found to be the dominant influence. The sensitivity of the Yucatan to drought episodes arises from its location at the convergence zone of these wind systems. It is concluded that the severe drought episodes in this region are a consequence of stochastic fluctuations of these wind systems and that external influences are not necessary.

Abstract This paper draws on original research conducted in 2003 with drought-affected people and communities in inland NSW. The paper outlines the scale of the drought, its social impacts and [...]

Although the term drought is widely used, defining it is conceptually and technically difficult and there is no generally accepted definition. This article uses data from an Australian social survey of people living in agricultural areas to test the validity of using general social surveys to ask respondents whether they are living in an area that is drought affected. Strong evidence is found that the survey based self-report measure of drought is both internally consistent and correlated with the standard Australian meteorological (rainfall deficit) measures of drought and thus provides a valid measure of whether individuals are experiencing the drought. The relationship between self-report drought and the standard meteorological measure of drought and financial hardship and changes in financial position is estimated. While a negative association between drought and financial position is found for both measures, the relationship is stronger for the self-report than the meteorological definition. The self-report measure is more closely linked to the economic, social and community impacts of low rainfall and provides greater flexibility in the geographic area over which drought is measured-thus survey data about drought allows respondents to define the area in way which is meteorologically, topographically or agriculturally meaningful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Mediterranean environment, drought is one of the extreme phenomena that has most direct consequences and complexity. It also has a direct social impact through the mass media, whose analysis, typology and characterization should be a priority in strategies to plan and mitigate effects. The appearance of droughts is slow, their occurrence is often not recognized until human activity and the environment have already been significantly affected, and drought effects persist for a long time after the drought has ended. The spatial distribution of droughts is highly complex, and significant variation in drought conditions is common between different locations. This makes it difficult to identify similar regions, especially in areas of climate transition, where the atmospheric influences are complex. This is the situation in the Iberian Peninsula (particularly the south of the peninsula), which straddles both temperate and sub-tropical climates and in which precipitation is highly variable and spatial variability is substantial. In this study, we analysed rainfall anomalies (Standardized Precipitation Index, SPI) over the last 50 years at four representative meteorological stations in southern Spain, two on the coast (Málaga and Algarrobo) and two at the headwaters of river basins regulated by dams (Antequera and Periana). The aims of the study were to (1) analyse the types of drought, and their frequency and intensity and (2) establish the dynamics and evolution of the social perception of droughts in the context of global change, brought about by the communications media. The results showed the SPI was a useful tool for identifying dry anomalies that may feature in our field of study of meteorological and hydrological drought, depending on its duration. Meteorological drought impact on the eco-geomorphological system is common and has had a particular development since the 1980s. Hydrological droughts are those that have had the greatest effect on water reserves, particularly when they occur in the headwaters of the watershed covered by reservoirs. Their importance has increased since the 1980s. Determination of drought periods and its impact mass media could have extraordinary relevance as a mechanism to establish the levels of awareness on sustainable use of resources. For future research, other socioeconomic and demographic variables should be considered to know the link between drought and water deficit. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental Refugees constitute a unique phenomenon in the modern international community. These environmentally-displaced persons are affected by climate change or other environmental factors, such as drought, soil salinization, desertification, deforestation, which result in environmental degradation that make their homelands unsafe to inhabit. These people have no alternative but to leave home in search of more secure environments in which to live. Some environmental refugees migrate across borders, while others are internally displaced. The status and definition of environmental refugees are still controversial under international legal regimes. States and international organizations (especially the UNHCR) need to cooperate closely to build the legal foundations of a global governance regime to deal with environmental refugees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Located in northwest Baja California, Mexico, the Guadalupe River Basin is situated in a semiarid region where periods of drought pose serious economic, social and environmental concerns. The study area has highly variable climate, with mean annual precipitation ranging from less than 12 mm to over 750 mm a year across the basin, and with most of the annual precipitation occurring during the autumn and winter seasons. To quantify the frequency and severity of meteorological droughts at the local (watershed) scale, this study investigates seasonal and annual precipitation data from 34 sites in northwest Baja California. Along with the analysis of precipitation climatology and interannual variability, El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and related Pacific Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) patterns are shown to be potential predictors of seasonal precipitation. Analysis of precipitation variability at seasonal and annual time scales is performed using the standardized precipitation index (SPI) methodology, and annual, seasonal, and ENSO-conditioned precipitation frequency analyses are executed using the regional L-moment algorithm. The SPI and regional rainfall drought frequency estimates developed in this study may be useful for monitoring meteorological droughts and could serve as critical components of a comprehensive drought management plan. Furthermore, the methods applied in this study may be transferred to other semi-arid locations to mitigate drought risk and, potentially, impacts of drier conditions in the 21st century. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within neoliberal development discourse, the poor are represented as entrepreneurial subjects for whom integration into formalized financial systems can facilitate their escape from poverty. This paper examines how the 2010 microfinance crisis in Andhra Pradesh reveals significant fault lines that underlie this narrative. It argues that the crisis of microfinance in Andhra Pradesh needs to be placed within the context of severe agrarian dislocations stemming from the impact of trade liberalization, drought cycles and a transformation of rural social relations. The contradictions are most strikingly represented in increasing rural differentiation and a generalized crisis of social reproduction among land-poor farmers and landless labourers. A massive influx of microfinance - driven by both state-operated programmes and private-sector institutions leveraged with cross-border financial flows - found a ready clientele among various agrarian classes seeking to bolster consumption and roll over debt in conditions of significant uncertainty and distress. Yet in banking on this vulnerability, microfinance institutions socialized the contradictions of rural Andhra Pradesh and have ultimately been thrown into limbo through the unleashing of political and social forces unforeseen in neoliberal narratives of agrarian change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Despite questions currently raised about the future of neoliberalism, it remains embedded within Australian agricultural policy and practice. This paper explores the strengths and limitations of mechanisms contributing to neoliberalism’s survival through a close examination of the restructuring of Australian agricultural production and governance processes under the influence of both globalising impulses and adherence to neoliberal strategies. We trace the changes in governance flowing from the dismantling of regulatory structures in the Australian dairy industry, and the creation of new forms of governance that have both facilitated this transition and dealt with its adverse, often unintended, consequences. The changing governance of Australian dairying is analysed through the lens of three arenas of governance: state, industry and place. Drought has played an important part in re-spacialising dairying and re-shaping the balance between farmers and industry, demonstrating the contingency at play in emerging governance structures. This study of processes of change within the highly export-oriented dairy sector of Australia focuses attention on resistance and on some of the messy actualities of the interplay between state, place and industry – and nature – in neoliberal agri-food governance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Kiva is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The impact of drought on rural communities in Australia has been the subject of considerable research. Less well understood are the impacts of drought on rural small businesses and the mechanisms they use to adapt or cope through extended dry periods. In this study, strategies these businesses draw upon to manage this adversity are identified and the influence that a more secure water supply has on their resilience is investigated. Interviews with ten small business operators situated in two rural towns - one with and one without a secure water supply - in drought-affected north western Victoria are comparatively analysed. The study found that adaptive strategies existed at the individual, business and community level, and despite water supply differences the identified strategies were similar across the study areas. Water supply security however was perceived as important in terms of broader regional sustainability and liveability of rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the U.S. Southwest, prolonged drought may force those most dependent on water to abandon their livelihoods. By focusing on Hispanic farmers and farmworkers, in this article I examine how ethnicity and other factors compound risk and create highly vulnerable groups. I use the concept of “social capital” to understand how the critically vulnerable access resources embedded in informal social networks of mutual aid to reduce their vulnerability. By contrasting their situation to that of Anglo farmers, I explore how social networks emerge as a result of diverse socioeconomic and ethnic contexts. Under a more permanent scenario of increased aridity, a better understanding of the risk management mechanisms deployed by vulnerable groups sheds light on how collective approaches build resilience and on the role of policy in promoting or inhibiting these approaches. I seek to contribute to discussions about the importance of sociocultural dynamics and policy decisions to improving society's adaptive capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk assessment provides a systematic procedure for predicting potential risks to human health or the environment. In the literature, many techniques have been used for risk assessment. In this article, process capability indices are used for this aim. The fullness rates of the dams in Istanbul are analyzed for the harmful effects of the drought by the help of process capability indices. Additionally, the process accuracy index (Ca), which measures the degree of the process centering and gives alerts when the process mean departures from the target value, is used for risk assessment. Its distinctive feature is used to determine the mean of the fullness rates departures from the target value. The results are analyzed to improve precautions. The Ca index is also analyzed when the critical parameters are defined as linguistic terms. The specification limits and mean are defined by triangular and trapezoidal fuzzy numbers, then the fuzzy set theory is applied to obtain fuzzy process capability indices. The proposed methodology is applied to measure drought's effects by analyzing the fullness rates of the dams in Istanbul. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we argue that people’s adjustments to multiple shocks and changes, such as conflict and drought, are intrinsically political processes that have uneven outcomes. Strengthening local adaptive capacity is a critical component of adapting to climate change. Based on fieldwork in two areas in Kenya, we investigate how people seek to access livelihood adjustment options and promote particular adaptation interests through forming social relations and political alliances to influence collective decision-making. First, we find that, in the face of drought and conflict, relations are formed among individuals, politicians, customary institutions, and government administration aimed at retaining or strengthening power bases in addition to securing material means of survival. Second, national economic and political structures and processes affect local adaptive capacity in fundamental ways, such as through the unequal allocation of resources across regions, development policy biased against pastoralism, and competition for elected political positions. Third, conflict is part and parcel of the adaptation process, not just an external factor inhibiting local adaptation strategies. Fourth, there are relative winners and losers of adaptation, but whether or not local adjustments to drought and conflict compound existing inequalities depends on power relations at multiple geographic scales that shape how conflicting interests are negotiated locally. Climate change adaptation policies are unlikely to be successful or minimize inequity unless the political dimensions of local adaptation are considered; however, existing power structures and conflicts of interests represent political obstacles to developing such policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many urban and regional areas of Australia have been facing severe drought over the past decade. This is particularly the case for most areas in the state of Victoria (located in the south east of the country). The management response to this situation has often been reactive with little thought about subsequent and long-term impacts. This paper reviews the water cartage industry in regional Victoria Australia which has developed in response to drought, suppling water in drought affected areas of the state. The review involved the survey of six water cartage businesses, and interviews with local government and water authority officers. The review found that the cost of the carted water is up to thirty-four times higher than the cost of the delivery of mains water in Australian cities and towns. Formal review of the water cartage industry and associated regulations is recommended to assess the environmental, social and economic impacts of water cartage. Secondly, and the paper benchmarks willingness to pay values for recycled water in a specific market segment of regional Victoria—Bendigo office workers (n =305). The contingent valuation method was used to elicit maximum willingness to pay for recycled water. The study found that participants were willing to pay on average A$7.66/kL for recycled water delivered to their homes (on January 18 2009, A$1.00=€0.50.US$0.68). This was an amount significantly greater than the A$1.33/kL charged to Bendigo residents for the delivery of potable mains water which is subject to water use restrictions. The results of this study indicate that individuals facing prolonged restrictions to the use of water may be willing to pay a higher price for recycled water than policy makers may anticipate. The established water cartage industry which services the Bendigo area may have influenced the high willingness to pay for recycled water which was evident in the particular segment of the population surveyed. Lessons learnt from this research will be beneficial for catchment (watershed) management globally. An important component of sustainable water management is consideration of impacts across catchments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]