Abstract
Water shortages can be the result of drought phenomena but can also be the result of human actions such as the increase of water demand due to population growth, or changes of habits or due to bad water management plans. This chapter outlines an example of diagnostic search that water policy makers, water managers, decision makers and other stakeholders, should take before embarking on the preparation of drought preparedness plans, so that they know the cause of water shortage and the need of drought preparedness plans is ascertained. The first step in such diagnostic search is to investigate if the right and adequate institutional and legal framework exists, and if the necessary data and the information are available and in a usable condition. Next, a search must be carried out to investigate whether the water management is done in a rational manner and water shortages are caused either by drought and/or by human actions. The next diagnostic step would be to find out if the scientific knowledge and methodologies for carrying out the risk analysis, the drought characterization and the drought preparedness plans are available with the technical staff of the institutions. Environmental needs during normal conditions and under drought conditions should be estimated and be included in the water demand schedules, their benefits should be evaluated and taken into consideration during the water allocation process under normal and drought conditions. The use of common language on water resources and droughts is very vital and this must be investigated and steps should be taken to introduce and use a common language. Finally a diagnostic search should be carried out to find out if the stakeholders in general are aware of the water issue of their country, region or town/village and they know how to use the water in an efficient and effective manner. If the results from this diagnostic search are negative in any of the searched items, the relevant authorities must take the necessary measures and actions so that the proper environment is created in each of the items so that the preparation and implementation of drought preparedness plans is facilitated, in an effective and efficient way.
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© 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
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Tsiourtis, N.X. (2009). A Checklist for Drought Policy Development. In: Iglesias, A., Cancelliere, A., Wilhite, D.A., Garrote, L., Cubillo, F. (eds) Coping with Drought Risk in Agriculture and Water Supply Systems. Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research, vol 26. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9045-5_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9045-5_3
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-9044-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-9045-5
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