The Drought Dilemma: Pathways to Innovation for a Water-Stressed Future

Water policy in United States is one of the most complex topics in the field of public policy. This book, a comparative study of Texas, California, and Alabama’s drought response, provides for the first time a common framework for analysis to investigate how water scarcity and droughts have interacted with various state-level factors to produce a wide degree of variance in policy innovations. Using Toddi Steelman’s (2010) conceptual framework, the authors examine multiple variables that impact water policy innovation, while showing how one policy solution does not fit all. They expertly demonstrate divergence in water policies due to the environmental cultures, water distribution, and structures in each case, despite similar drought conditions.

As water is increasingly stressed in the future, the ability to draw on lessons learned by these states will provide valuable insight to other entities that face droughts and water shortages. The Drought Dilemma is a must read for all those looking for recommendations for the construction of drought policy, as well as future approaches to understand comparative state drought policy.

Jonathan D. Farley is a Contract Simulator Instructor at Naval Air Station Meridian, MS. He retired from active duty in the United States Navy after a 20-year career as an F/A-18 Pilot. His research interests include environmental management and international resource conflict. He has published on water conflict in Asia and future military concepts, such as Multi-Domain Operations. He previously served as an instructor at the Air Command and Staff College located at Maxwell Air Force Base, AL. In addition to his roles at an instructor, he was as a guest lecturer at the Danish Defense College, German Bundeswehr Command and Staff College, and the NATO School Oberammergau.

Jonathan M. Fisk is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Auburn University. He has published nearly two dozen single/co-authored articles/book chapters in journals including the American Review of Public Administration, Energy Policy, State and Local Government Review, Risk, Hazards, and Crises in Public Policy, Public Integrity, Society and Natural Resources, Politics and Policy, and Review of Policy Research. He has worked on grants from the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

John C. Morris is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Auburn University. He has studied environmental policy and water policy for more than thirty years and has published widely in public administration and public policy. He is the author/coauthor/editor of twelve books, more than 85 scholarly articles, and more than forty book chapters and reports.