blog post Video: What If California’s Drought Continues? By Lori Pottinger Aug 25, 2015 State and local experts told a capacity crowd in Sacramento what they have learned from the drought. They described successes, surprises, and looming challenges if it persists.
blog post Drought Watch: A Better Way to Manage Water for Fish By Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount Feb 4, 2014 This is part of a continuing series on the impact of the drought.As California’s drought wears on, state and federal regulators will be under increasing pressure to loosen environmental standards that protect native fish and other wildlife.
blog post Drought Watch: How Much Do Recent Rains Matter? By Jeffrey Mount Feb 14, 2014 This is part of a continuing series on the impact of the drought.While impressive in the intensity and amount of precipitation, this storm did little to alter the state’s drought picture.
blog post The Drought and Californians’ Views on Climate Policy By David Kordus Aug 28, 2015 California Democrats and Republicans are divided over proposals to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But party registration is not the only driver of these views.
blog post What Does the Colorado River Drought Plan Mean for California? By Gokce Sencan May 13, 2019 Here’s how a new plan to address chronic water shortages in the Colorado River Basin will affect Southern California water users.
blog post California’s Farmers Adapt to Drought (in English and Spanish) By Alvar Escriva-Bou Mar 8, 2016 The drought has challenged California’s agricultural sector. An expert interview with Josué Medellín-Azuara on how farmers are coping. Includes a Spanish-language video.
blog post Water in 2021: Looking Back on a Year of Extremes By Ellen Hanak Jan 3, 2022 In California, 2021 was the year that climate change hit home. We look back at this year of extremes—and examine how our nonpartisan data and analysis informed conversations about how to address the tough water issues facing the state.
blog post Commentary: California Should Plan as if Drought Has Returned By Jeffrey Mount, Ellen Hanak Dec 21, 2017 We’re not yet in drought—but it might be prudent to act as if this is the beginning of the next one.
event Improving the Federal Response to Western Drought Feb 3, 2016 About the ProgramCalifornia and much of the American West have experienced moderate to extreme levels of drought in recent years. The resulting water scarcity has affected urban and agricultural users throughout the region and has stressed ecosystems and the fish and wildlife that depend on them. While drought management can involve all levels of government, the federal government in particular has a unique set of policy tools that can help communities prepare for and minimize the impact of droughts. At this Resources for the Future (RFF) First Wednesday Seminar, experts will discuss the role of the federal government in western water and drought management, with a focus on how it can strengthen its partnership with states to better manage drought today and in a warmer, possibly drier, future. The event features a presentation by Ellen Hanak, director of the PPIC Water Policy Center, who will discuss the center's new report, Improving the Federal Response to Western Drought: Five Areas for Reform. This research was supported with funding from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
event Managing Drought in a Changing Climate Sep 10, 2018 Managing water—whether too much or too little—is at the forefront of climate change adaptation in California. Droughts bring major social, economic, and environmental impacts, and will continue to shape water management and policies into the future. New research from PPIC melds lessons learned from the recent drought with climate change simulations to review California’s capacity to adapt and prepare for greater extremes and growing water scarcity.
