Planning for Drought
Tribal Drought Planning
As part of its duties, in 2000 the National Drought Policy Commission (NDPC) undertook a review of tribal drought planning efforts. To accomplish this, the Intertribal Agriculture Council surveyed its membership, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA), Bureau of Reclamation, and the NDPC all conducted outreach activities with tribes; these efforts were supplemented with data gathered from public testimony and comments.
According to the NDPC, the United States recognizes about 560 Indian tribes. Most have their own disaster systems or processes, and these rely heavily on federal programs. The NDPC found that 6 tribes were in the process of developing drought contingency plans through cooperative agreements with the Bureau of Reclamation. The tribes were the Hopi, Hualapai Nation, Kaibab-Paiute, Navajo Nation, San Carlos Apache, and Zuni Pueblo. Other tribes may be developing plans as well.
Among the Commission’s findings...
Many tribes lack information to adequately monitor drought, including soil survey, range condition, snow amount, soil moisture, and streamflow information. In addition, many tribes indicated a need for easily available and locally accessible technical and financial assistance to enable them to plan and implement conservation measures and other practices to enhance wildlife and protect against wildfires. Tribal representatives also pointed out that the eligibility requirements and cost share rates of many current programs need to be modified to fit specific tribal situations, and programs must be adequately funded. Some expressed concerns that criteria for a national drought policy might compromise their cultural or religious beliefs and asked the Commission to support the special relationship the tribes have with the federal government.
The complete National Drought Policy Commission report and a summary of tribal drought activities (as of 2000) are available online.
Other Resources
Analyzing Tribal Drought Management: A Case Study of the Hualapai Tribe
Navajo Nation
Drought Contingency Plan (
2003 )
Developing a Drought Plan: The Hopi Nation
A brief examination of steps taken by the Hopi Nation in creating a drought plan
Northern Cheyenne Tribe Drought Mitigation Plan
The Northern Cheyenne Tribe, located in southeastern Montana, released a draft plan in December 2006.
A project funded by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program to help tribal livestock producers mitigate the impacts of drought
The following PowerPoint presentations (created for a drought planning workshop held in Flagstaff, Arizona, in June 2004) describe the drought planning experiences of four tribes:
© 2006 National Drought Mitigation Center