ABSTRACT
Drought is a natural phenomenon that affects humanity around the globe. While the mantra of water being critical for life is widely known, people are often unaware of the fact that the vast majority of freshwater supplies are consumed in the process of food production. Modern irrigation significantly boosts harvests because it is a fail-safe measure when compared with rain-fed farming, which leaves farmers vulnerable to the vagaries of weather patterns. Climate change has made farming more unpredictable and hence distressing to farmers.
Droughts have variable effects on different parts of a country. For example, people who live in the rural periphery would feel the effects of a drought quicker than those in the urban core. This delayed effect would need to be factored into drought mitigation policies. The policies should also include early warning systems that yield relevant data from different parts of the country and the wider region. These early warning signals need to be communicated to the public in a timely manner using messages that are meaningful and comprehensible by the vast majority of the population regardless of their education level, economic class, or geographic location. Countries can bolster their drought resilience by implementing water efficiency programs, good governance, and continuous educational efforts to inform the general public about local and national water issues.
