Tonya Haigh, NDMC social science coordinator, won the Best Article 2023 Award from the Journal of the American Planning Association.Haigh recognized for best article
Tonya Haigh, NDMC social science coordinator, won the Best Article 2023 Award from the Journal of the American Planning Association for her article, “Planning Strategies and Barriers to Achieving Local Drought Preparedness.” This award will be recognized at the JAPA Reception at the annual conference of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning on October 23–25, 2025 in Minneapolis.
Articles assess public discourse on drought-related events
Kelly Helm Smith, NDMC drought impacts researcher, was an author of two collaborative publications with researchers at the College of Journalism & Mass Communications and University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Authors analyze discussions about drought from 2022-23 between audiences and agencies in Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri. Social media analyses suggested a broad disconnect between government agencies and the public.
“Expertise or Experience: Comparing Discussion of Drought between Audiences and Agencies in Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri” was published in Weather, Climate and Society. “Debated, Deluged or Disappeared: The Flow of Public Discussion Surrounding Drought in FEMA Region 7” was published in Journal of Applied Communications.
New article identifies framework for ranch drought planning
A new article provides more decision-making and planning support for ranchers to manage drought. Tonya Haigh, NDMC social science coordinator, and Cody Knutson, NDMC planning coordinator, authored “Conceptualizing ranch drought plans and planning: A typology,” which published in Rangelands.
Authors found a gap in understanding on what researchers and ranchers mean by the concept of “planning for drought.” They present suggestions to improve the state of knowledge regarding the use and benefits of ranch drought planning.
Guidance on tracking drought impacts now available
Smith, Knutson and Mark Svoboda, NDMC director, were authors of “Baseline Assessment of Drought Impact Monitoring.” It was released by World Meteorological Organization under the banner of the Integrated Drought Management Programme - joint WMO and the Global Water Partnership on May 27.
The report addresses a critical gap in providing guidance on tracking and assessing drought impacts. It presents a comprehensive global overview of current drought impact monitoring practices, highlights regional case studies and identifies best practices for effective monitoring.