Characterizing drought risks and implications for water management under climate change

Stakeholder interviews reveal that people perceive the importance of water differently for various uses. The CDRI combines the drought projections and stakeholder perceptions to show that for water uses where values are diverse, perceived differences are exacerbated in the future, especially under higher emissions. We also investigate why stakeholder perceptions differ by examining cultural worldviews, which can help to diagnose why disagreement may arise over water management.

For some water uses, the importance people attribute to water can be partially explained by worldview, pointing to some implications for water management policy. We discuss how the results can be used to reduce potential disagreement among stakeholders and promote sustainable water management, which is particularly important for planning under potentially increasing drought.