Colorado State's Drought Lab Featured in the Economist
Colorado State's collaborative drought analysis and water management laboratory, DroughtLab, is named one of Colorado's premier answers to drought management in The Economist's Jan. 23, 2002, article "A Growing Thirst." The article discusses the impact of western drought on urban and rural areas in the United States.
Established in 2002, DroughtLab is a joint initiative of Colorado State's water and climate centers, bringing together the knowledge of more than 100 researchers from 22 academic departments at Colorado State and the University of Colorado at Boulder. The collaborating drought analysis team conducts drought research, identifies drought impacts and consequences, and provides drought response and management options to government leaders, businesses and individuals planning for and managing drought events.
"Drought is a recurring phenomenon that is complex to characterize, difficult to predict and can have devastating impacts," said Robert Ward, director of the University's Water Center and the Colorado Water Resources Research Institute. "DroughtLab's research into understanding the underlying physical and statistical mechanisms that control the dynamics of drought, as well as its impacts on the environment and the socio-economic infrastructure, will prove extremely helpful in assisting government officials and individuals to make more informed decisions."
On December 4, 2002, DroughtLab hosted the Colorado Drought Conference: Managing Water Supply and Demand in the Time of Drought. Over 250 scientists, public officials, water managers and media representatives gathered at Colorado State University to explore options to mitigate the negative effects of drought in the future. The conference examined water management issues and the context of the 2002 drought within historic record.
Proceedings from the Colorado Drought Conference are available at: http://cwrri.colostate.edu/. A summary of the drought conference also can be found at: http://watercenter.colostate.edu/droughtconf/FramesConfSummary.htm.
To view "A Growing Thirst," visit The Economist's website. For more information on drought-related resources at Colorado State University, click here.