Drought Management On Farmland

At last, integrated management of drought on farms is dealt with in one comprehensive book. Although drought is a highly variable, near-universal natural phenomenon which has repercussions on a country's water and food supplies and many other sectors of the economy, there are many ways of avoiding, resisting and mitigating the effects of drought. Pro-active preparedness entails using the principles of risk management to upgrade the drought resistance of a farm systematically, and to have auxiliary contingency plans at the ready for use during unusually long droughts. The book provides tools for these strategies as it covers the management of water, soils, crops, rangeland, fodder and livestock, and many other drought-related topics. Audience: This book will be an important source of information for university and college staff and students in agricultural sciences, water and land use, environmental management, geography and risk management, and also farmers, agricultural advisors and policy makers.

Australia is the only country on the planet that has a non-annual climate cycle and this poses real challenges for an agricultural sector based on practices which were developed for the relative predictability of a European climate. Since 1989 official Government policy in Australia has moved towards acceptance of this reality and rejected the notion that drought is a natural disaster in favour of a policy approach based on risk management.

This in-depth practical guide shows farmers, ranchers, and gardeners how to reduce the impact of less-than-optimal rainfall on crops and livestock with innovative, yet simple techniques for enhancing the water retention of soil and developing a drought management plan.

Drought is a natural hazard characterized by lower than expected or lower than normal rainfall having slow but widespread impact. This book focus on drought management and mitigation in agriculture and allied sectors. The chapters cover Basic concepts, assessment, monitoring, forecasting, early warning, vulnerability and adaptation to drought and mitigation and management strategies. Management of different land use systems under drought and finally socio economic impact and livelihood issues of drought are also focussed. It would be useful to a wide range of stakeholders, i.e. planners, researchers, students and interested public. This will also serve as text book as well as supplementary reading for courses in agronomy, ecology, geography and agro meteorology besides administration and disaster management units.

The 1987-89 drought was a signal event in the evolving interrelationshipsamong climate, natural resources management, technology,and society in the United States. Over half of the country experiencedsevere to extreme drought by midsummer of 1988 (Figure 1.1). Lossesupward to $39 billion illustrate the continuing, perhaps growing,vulnerability of many natural resources and economic sectors to droughtand other climate fluctuations.Despite decades of crop breeding, water system development, andother improvements in climate-sensitive technologies, the droughtdemonstrated that the simple lack of "normal" rainfall still provokesserious disruptions in agriculture, water supply, transportation,environmental quality, and other areas. It can affect the health and wellbeingof millions of people and evoke billions of dollars in governmentaid.

Natural hazard induced disasters (NHID), such as floods, droughts, severe storms, and animal pests and diseases have significant, widespread and long lasting impacts on agricultural sectors around the world. With climate change set to amplify many of these impacts, a “business as usual” approach to disaster risk management in agriculture cannot continue if we are to meet the challenges of agricultural productivity and sustainability growth, and sustainable development. Drawing from seven case studies – Chile, Italy, Japan, Namibia, New Zealand, Turkey and the United States – this joint OECD?FAO report argues for a new approach to building resilience to NHID in agriculture. It explores the policy measures, governance arrangements, on?farm strategies and other initiatives that countries are using to increase agricultural resilience to NHID, highlighting emerging good practices. It offers concrete recommendations on what more needs to be done to shift from coping with the impacts of disasters, to an ex ante approach that focuses on preventing and mitigating the impacts of disasters, helping the sector be better prepared to respond to disasters, and to adapt and transform in order to be better positioned for future disasters.

Rainfall levels are rarely optimal, but there are hundreds of things you can do to efficiently conserve and use the water you do have and to reduce the impact of drought on your soil, crops, livestock, and farm or ranch ecosystem. Author Dale Strickler introduces you to the same innovative systems he used to transform his own drought-stricken family farm in Kansas into a thriving, water-wise, and profitable enterprise, maximizing healthy cropland, pasture, and water supply. Ranging from simple, short-term projects such as installing rain-collection ollas to long-term land-management planning strategies, Strickler’s methods show how to get more water into the soil, keep it in the soil, and help plants and livestock access it. This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.