Drought plagues the world every year. The National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) helps people recognize and plan for drought stress to help reduce the impact on society and the economy.

Mark Svoboda, director of the NDMC housed at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and his team provide information and resources to the public.

“The NDMC helps mitigate the impacts of drought with a goal of reducing the economic impact on Nebraskans and the world,” Svoboda said. “We want to be THE resource for people to come to for any of their drought needs.”

While the NDMC is housed within a university, it is a resource used around the world. The center is home to nearly 25 staff covering the physical and social sciences. “Their expertise is what makes the center so successful” he said.

“We work all over the world. The work starts right here in Nebraska and we grow from there,” Svoboda said.

What is Drought ?

Simply stated, drought is when there is not enough water to meet environmental needs.

Drought can be widespread and have different durations that influence the land, people, and resources in the area, Svoboda said.

“We know droughts are a normal part of climate,” he said. “This is not new -- drought goes back before people were here, but we certainly deal with it today and need to find innovative ways to mitigate its future effects.”

However, the impact of drought hurts plant and animal needs, people, energy, ecosystems and even the economy.

Recognizing Drought

The NDMC uses several resources to monitor drought conditions across the United States, such as weather stations, models, satellites, and airplanes, according to Svoboda.

“Most commonly, satellites are used to determine if vegetation is under stress,” he said.

Through satellite imagery, drought conditions are determined, and the NDMC helps to create action plans for farmers, ranchers, and communities.

Agriculture is a globally connected market, making the need for drought monitoring more important than ever. A drought in one area of the world can impact the demand of grains in the worldwide trade.

“People are paying attention to soybeans in Brazil, wheat in Russia, China and India, and corn, soybeans and wheat in the United States – everything is tied together,” said Svoboda.  

Recognizing drought conditions worldwide assists farmers in the United States with crop selection, like the 2021 demand on soybeans due to drought in Brazil.

Drought recognition needs are not limited to agriculture. The recognition of drought has an impact on several sectors of the world economy including tourism (impacted by fires in the western part of the United States each year), energy powered by hydroelectricity, and even community water needs.

Not surprisingly, drought may result in financial strain on families, and dealing with drought impacts brings both physical and emotional stress.

“Drought can cause strain on operations – both farms and ranches – that have been in families for generations,” Svoboda said. “Some of these farms and ranches have endured multi-year droughts, which causes significant economic strain and mental stress on families.”

National Drought Monitor

A grassroots citizen effort to collect drought-related information is available through the NDMC website, Svoboda said. Condition-monitoring observer reports allow citizens to take images and upload them directly to the NDMC interface.

The NDMC staff combines its information with that from citizens to create the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) – the first project of its kind that combines multiple indicators onto one map. 

The map provides a one-stop shop for stakeholders to learn more about drought.

“Stakeholders do not want to look at 24 maps and translate them in relation to drought,” Svoboda said. “Instead, we developed one map to make the information easily accessible and all in one place.”

The scientific basis and methodology behind the USDM has been applied in dozens of counties around the world over the past 20 years.

Drought Planning

The NDMC has developed several vegetation stress indicators and monitoring systems that are integrated into the USDM, Svoboda said.

For example, the Vegetation Drought Response Index and the Quick Drought Response Index are both indicators and monitoring systems that display forages or forests in the U.S. that are being stressed or impacted by drought.

“Through these programs and others like Grass-Cast, farmers and ranchers can see the effects of drought on crops and/or rangelands,” Svoboda said.

The NDMC has met or worked with hundreds of ranchers from southern Canada to northern Mexico and everywhere in the United States from the Great Plains to the Front Range, developing in-depth plans for agriculturists. A guide and examples of some of these plans are available through a resource called Drought Risk on the Ranch, which can be found at https://drought.unl.edu/Planning/DroughtPlans.aspx.  

Learn More

The network of experts that work with the NDMC has expanded to more than 450 people across the United States, including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and even the U.S. Pacific affiliated islands. In addition, the NDMC has worked with over 90 countries around the world since the center began operating in 1995.

For more information about the National Drought Mitigation Center or the plans that they offer for farmers, ranchers, and communities visit https://drought.unl.edu.

Key Takeaways:

1. The National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) helps people recognize and plan for drought to help reduce the impact on society and the economy.
2. Drought is when there is not enough water to meet demand.
3. The U.S. Drought Monitor was the first indicator of its kind that combined multiple indicators onto one map.
4. The NDMC offers drought planning and early warning resources worldwide.
5. For more information about the National Drought Mitigation Center or the plans that they offer for farmers, ranchers, and communities visit https://drought.unl.edu.