Drought in the United States: Causes and Issues for Congress

This report discusses how drought is defined (e.g., why drought in one region of the country is different from drought in a different region), and why drought occurs in the United States. How droughts are classified, and what is meant by moderate, severe, and extreme drought classification, are also discussed. The report briefly describes periods of drought in the country's past that equaled or exceeded drought conditions experienced during the 20th century, including periods during earlier centuries where the American West was substantially drier, on average, than it is today. This is followed by a discussion of the prospects for a future climate in the West that may be drier than the average 20th century climate-perhaps similar to drier periods centuries ago. The report concludes with a description of policy challenges for Congress, such as the existing federal/non-federal split in drought response and management, and the patchwork of drought programs subject to oversight by multiple congressional committees.


This package includes following files:

#	File Name	Document Date	Order ID:	Number of Pages	Price
1	RL34580_10_17_2011.pdf	May 29, 2009	RL34580	17	$29.95	Add to Cart

Older Versions: