Drought (U.S. Drought of 2012)

Mashid Mohadjerin for The New York Times

News about Drought (U.S. Drought of 2012), including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Oct. 23, 2014

Altay Journal; drought in northwest China has adversely affected region's Kazakh herders and their flocks of sheep; nomadic herders have resisted official efforts to force them to live in newly-built villages, but drought has tested their traditional lifestyle. MORE
Oct. 8, 2014

California officials report the largest monthly decline in water use in 2014, with consumption falling 11.5 percent in August compared with the year before. MORE
Oct. 6, 2014

Record household debt and signs of drought are squeezing Thailand's economy; country's farmers are expected to bear the brunt as central bank predicts economic growth of 1.5 percent for 2014. MORE
Oct. 3, 2014

Life in rural community of Porterville in Tulare County, California, has been completely upended by drying of wells due to state's record-breaking drought; now in its third year; nowhere in state is situation more dire than in the county, where state officials say that at least 700 households have no access to running water. MORE
Sep. 23, 2014

Decade-long drought and heat wave has dramatically affected lives of Mongolians, many of whom still practice seminomadic herding ways of their ancestors; extreme winter events, which often lead to livestock herd die-offs, have also become more common; hardships have driven many to abandon traditional way of life. MORE
Sep. 10, 2014

California's hopes for heavy rains that might bring relief from drought are dimmed, as long-term weather forecasters say it is unlikely that strong El Nino will develop in 2014. MORE
Sep. 2, 2014

Record-setting drought in California has many homeowners opting to paint their lawns; spray-painting an average-size lawn in Southern California costs less than $300, and if owner hates it, paint will fade and be gradually mowed off within three months. MORE
Sep. 1, 2014

California Gov Jerry Brown is expected to sign measures making drought-plagued California the last Southwestern state to establish groundwater controls; sweeping legislation does not eliminate private ownership, but establishes framework for managing groundwater withdrawals through local agencies; new legal framework also requires that state step in if local authorities fail to manage their aquifers in a sustainable manner. MORE
Aug. 30, 2014

United Nations World Food Program says as many as 2.8 million people are struggling to feed themselves in Central American because of severe drought; Guatemala declared state of emergency after 256,000 families lost their crops. MORE
Aug. 22, 2014

Study published in journal Science finds that about 63 trillion gallons of groundwater have been lost across Western United States since start of 2013 due to severe drought, causing earth's crust to rise by 0.15 inches over two years. MORE
Aug. 12, 2014

Biologists are struggling to find ways to protect giant sequoias, some of world's oldest and most storied trees, from drought, forest fires and climate change threatening California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. MORE
Aug. 10, 2014

Businesses on California's Catalina Island have spent more than $40 million updating quaint town of Avalon and reviving tourism, but island is quickly running out of water; with island's reservoir approaching record low, businesses and homes will be required to cut water use by 25 percent. MORE
Aug. 7, 2014

Many California communities, stricken by crippling drought, are fighting back against water theft by marijuana growers; while cannabis cultivation is legal in California, marijuana is an extremely thirsty plant, and growers have begun siphoning off extra supplies in order to maintain their product. MORE
Jul. 16, 2014

California officials approve most drastic measures yet to reduce water consumption during state’s increasingly serious drought, including fines of up to $500 per day under some circumstances for watering a garden, washing a car or hosing down a sidewalk. MORE
Jul. 10, 2014

Editorial warns that strong water conservation measures are needed in California in order to help state avoid severe shortages; notes that Los Angeles has recorded lowest rainfall for two consecutive years and that climate change is likely to worsen situation; says 70 percent of water districts still have not imposed reasonable mandatory restrictions, and calls for state and local officials to act with greater urgency. MORE
Jul. 8, 2014

Kern River oil field in California is one of the nation's largest, but for every barrel of oil extracted by its owner Chevron, about 10 barrels of water are produced and then sold to local water district that distributes it to farmers; it is one of the more unusual sources of water, one whose importance has increased in a year when drought has forced farmers to fallow acres of land. MORE
Jul. 5, 2014

Californians have cut their water consumption only 5 percent in five months compared with recent years since a drought emergency was declared; cities, faced with apparent indifference to stern warnings from state leaders and media alarms, have encouraged residents to tattle on their neighbors for wasting water--and residents have responded in droves. MORE
Jun. 18, 2014

Arizona could be forced to cut water deliveries to its two largest cities unless states that tap the dwindling Colorado River find ways to reduce water consumption and deal with a crippling drought; warning comes as federal Bureau of Reclamation forecasts that Lake Mead, Colorado River reservoir that is the network’s sole water source, is poised to fall to a level not seen since the lake was first filled in 1938. MORE
Jun. 7, 2014

Unicef officials report supply of safe water in Syria is now one-third of level it was before March 2011 when civil war began, and warn of new levels of suffering because of worsening regional drought. MORE
May. 20, 2014

Gov Jerry Brown is portraying California as the front line of climate change, saying effects of man-made global warming are devastating the state; draws direct link between climate change and both the record-setting drought that has left the state parched and the early-season wildfires that have broken out across California. MORE
May. 15, 2014

About a dozen local governments in California, responding to drought and powerful earthquakes, vote to restrict or prohibit fracking in their jurisdictions; concerns over environmental effects and water usage grow; bill to declare statewide moratorium on fracking is gathering support in State Senate. MORE
May. 9, 2014

Districts in California are rationing water and imposing fines that will quickly double, triple or quadruple customers' typical water bills, all in the name of encouraging water conservation in state's debilitating drought; doing so, however, may violate state law. MORE
Apr. 21, 2014

California farmers, heading into third year of prolonged drought, are being forced to make dire choices that could leave as much as 800,000 acres, or about 7 percent of state's cropland, fallow; decisions by farmers influenced by drought and wildlife rules concerning water rights, will mean higher fruit and vegetables prices for consumers. MORE
Apr. 21, 2014

Arizona State University professor Timothy Richards estimates coming rise in prices of California produce due to drought. MORE
Apr. 19, 2014

California government has begun transporting salmon to the sea by truck and by barge, hoping to save fish that have become stranded by shallow rivers amid drought; officials hope fully-matured fish will return upstream years later, both for the sake of the endangered species and for state's billion-dollar salmon industry. MORE
Apr. 19, 2014

California Department of Water Resources announces it is increasing water allotments from the State Water Project, from zero to 5 percent of what water districts have requested, in effort to ease drought-stricken farmers and cities in state. MORE
Apr. 5, 2014

California drought has taken a large toll on Jim Ouimet and his mushing company, Mammoth Dog Teams, which offers sled-dog tours that depend on snowfall; recent years have seen less and less snow on peaks of the Eastern Sierras near Mammoth Lakes, where business is located. MORE
Mar. 17, 2014

Prolonged drought has intensified conflict over water rights in the West, as farmers, industry and municipalities raise stakes in legal battles; problems have been exacerbated by the explosive growth of Western cities and suburbs, and a byzantine set of water laws that seem tailor-made for disputes. MORE
Mar. 13, 2014

Many Californians are facing reality that green lawns are no longer realistic in era of widespread water shortages; are exploring possibilities of brown yards covered with native plants. MORE
Mar. 12, 2014

Mark Bittman Op-Ed column asserts that drought in California underscores need for policies that will result in a consistently reliable water supply for the state's farmers; maintains that either crop selection must be modified or water delivery and use must be more rational. MORE
Mar. 9, 2014

Op-Ed article by research meteorologist Martin P Hoerling contends that scientific evidence does not support an argument that the drought in California is appreciably linked to human-induced climate change, and has historical precedent; maintains that the value of determining the cause of the drought can provide a preview of the future. MORE
Mar. 8, 2014

Lake of the Woods, Calif, may run out of municipal drinking water by the summer if rain does not return, making it one of 17 rural communities in state's southern region facing the same problem; regulations, community water-saving efforts and the drilling of new wells have all failed in the face of persistent drought. MORE
Mar. 8, 2014

Op-Ed article by Prof James McWilliams underscores amount of water required to fatten livestock, in light of California's ongoing drought; contends environmental impact of raising cattle in California shows it is a mistake to believe current livestock production is sustainable. MORE
Feb. 20, 2014

California Gov Jerry Brown and top Democrats announce a $687 million plan to provide immediate help to drought-stricken communities. MORE
Feb. 17, 2014

Some of leading experts in climate change suggest that it most likely has little role in causing California's current drought; scientists maintain that Obama administration was right to cite climate change when announcing aid for the drought-stricken state, as effects of drought appear to have been made worse by climatic warning. MORE
Feb. 17, 2014

Project developed by San Francisco start-up WaterFX is tapping abundant, if contaminated, resource of billions of gallons of water that lie just below surface in drought-stricken California; $1 million solar thermal desalination plant, financed by Panoche Water District with state funds, is removing impurities from drainage water at half the cost of traditional methods, and, if successful, could offer some relief to West's long-running water wars. MORE
Feb. 15, 2014

Pres Obama arrives in the heart of California’s parched farmland to offer tens of millions of dollars in federal assistance to the state, where the lack of rain and snow this winter has led to the severest drought in its modern history; also presses ahead with the more difficult task of enlisting rural America in his campaign on climate change by linking it to the drought. MORE
Feb. 14, 2014

California is facing its worst drought in modern history, and losses from idled farms are hitting hard among farmers; thousands of farm workers who rely on paychecks for tending fields are expected to go unemployed; Central Valley is massive stretch of land in middle part of state that provides nearly half of nation's produce; farmers will have to rely on private wells. MORE
Feb. 10, 2014

Op-Ed article by authors Blain Roberts and Ethan J Kytle questions what will happen if drought and rising air pollution continue to afflict the California's Central Valley, where a third of the nation's fruit and vegetables are grown; contends area's residents must acquiesce to water-saving measures. MORE
Feb. 3, 2014

Op-Ed article by Prof Jayson Lusk and Dr Henry I Miller contends both wheat farmers and consumers have suffered due to fact that there is no genetically engineered wheat being grown commercially in the United States; holds genetically engineered wheat would be better able to withstand drought conditions. MORE
Feb. 2, 2014

Drought that has swept California is threatening the state's drinking water supply; officials say they are moving to put emergency plans in place; deteriorating situation will likely mean imposing mandatory water conservation measures on homeowners and businesses, who have already been asked to voluntarily reduce their water use by 20 percent. MORE
Feb. 1, 2014

California state officials say they will cut off the water to local agencies serving 25 million residents and about 750,000 acres of farmland, in response to one of worst droughts in history; most of the 29 agencies affected have other sources they can draw from, such as groundwater and local reservoirs. MORE
Jan. 22, 2014

Thomas L Friedman Op-Ed column highlights State Department cable disclosed by WikiLeaks that underscores connection between drought and climate change and civil unrest in Syria; contends that it is impossible to understand the Arab awakenings without considering climate, environment and population stresses. MORE
Jan. 18, 2014

Water shortage has residents of California, which is suffering from record drought, trying to deal with problems that usually arise in midsummer, and is affecting vast sectors of the economy; sense of dread is building among farmers, many whom have already let fields go fallow, and cattle ranchers have had to rely on bought hay or reduce their herds. MORE
Jan. 16, 2014

Government scientists say that drought condition in California and elsewhere in the Far West intensified in 2013, adding to concerns about water supplies in the region. MORE
Jan. 6, 2014

Drought and population growth are driving a reassessment of how the 1,450-mile Colorado, Southwest's only major river, can continue to provide drinking water to one of nation's fastest-growing regions; some experts say river's flow will be substantially and permanently diminished in coming years, fueling conflicts between states and municipalities that share river's water. MORE
Nov. 17, 2013

Chuck Klosterman The Ethicist column answers questions about paying to play on a traveling high-school sports team and wishing for drought, even if farmers are negatively affected. MORE
Oct. 27, 2013

Editorial observes that a team of scientists studying ancient pollens in the Middle East believe that the cause of the sudden collapse of cultures there 3,000 years ago was long-term drought; contends that the findings require attention as reminders of how vulnerable even the strongest human societies may be to natural forces, particularly in an era of intensifying droughts. MORE
Oct. 23, 2013

Analysis of pollen grains from sediment beneath the Sea of Galilee and the western shore of the Dead Sea indicate drought caused a Late Bronze Age collapse; study is published in Tel Aviv: Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University. MORE
Jun. 11, 2013

Drought and other factors have created historically low water marks for nation's Great Lakes, putting $34 billion shipping industry in peril; situation could send ripples through United States economy. MORE

ARTICLES ABOUT DROUGHT

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Reversing Course on Beavers

By JIM ROBBINS

Their dams were once obliterated by dynamite and bulldozers, but beavers are getting new respect these days as a defense against the withering impacts of a warmer and drier climate.

October 28, 2014, Tuesday

MORE ON DROUGHT AND: Beavers , Global Warming , Water , Levees and Dams , Drought , Western States (US) , Wildlife Conservation Society , Conservation of Resources , Burrell, Jeff

In China, a Drought Tests Nomadic Herders’ Culture of Survival

By EDWARD WONG

A tradition of herding has continued for centuries in western China, despite official efforts to force nomads to settle in villages. But a recent drought has put that lifestyle to the test.

October 23, 2014, Thursday

MORE ON DROUGHT AND: China , Drought , Sheep , Livestock , Nomadic People , Uighurs (Chinese Ethnic Group) , Xinjiang (China) , Urumqi (China)

The Risks of Cheap Water

By EDUARDO PORTER

Higher prices are essential to induce conservation and investment in water-saving technology and to steer water to where it is valued most.

October 15, 2014, Wednesday

MORE ON DROUGHT AND: Water , Conservation of Resources , Agriculture and Farming , California , Prices (Fares, Fees and Rates) , Drought

Pentagon Signals Security Risks of Climate Change

By CORAL DAVENPORT

The Pentagon on Monday released a report asserting that climate change poses an immediate threat to national security, with increased risks from terrorism, infectious disease, global poverty and food shortages.

October 14, 2014, Tuesday

MORE ON DROUGHT AND: United States Defense and Military Forces , Global Warming , Terrorism , Shortages , Drought , Defense Department , Hagel, Chuck

Texans Getting Creative With Water Conservation

By CHRISTINE AYALA and NEENA SATIJA

Water and sewer bills are going up substantially across Texas as utilities struggle to maintain aging infrastructure, deal with drought or come to grips with the rising costs of a scarce resource.