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_NIDIS-=A.~roactiYe.ApproactLtoJ)rQught Droughts are as much a part of the weather and climate extremes as Hoods, hurricanes and tornadoes. Yet in marked contrast to the myri- ad federal programs that report. prevent and mitigate the damage of these other extreme events, we passively accept drought's elTects as an unavoidable natural hardship. This passive approach to droughts is mani. fested in our lack of a comprehensive [ederal drought policy: we respond to droughts through ad hoc. crisis management, rather than through proactive. coordinated strategies designed 10 mitigate the impacts. To address other natural disasters - floods, hurricanes, tornadoes. etc. - Congress enacted the Staflord Act, which gives clear roles and responsibilities to the various federal agencies and makes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) the federal lead. A simple explanation for the inferior treatment of droughts, vis a vis other natu- ral disasters, is that droughts are much more difficult to identify. It is hard to miss an oncoming !load, hurricane or tornado - or their immediate afiermath. Droughts, on the other hand, are a creeping phenomenon, which develop slowly over large areas and an extended period of time. This slow nature of drought hinders the recognition of the true impacls, thus diminishing the urgency that would other- wise trigger a timely and comprehensive response. Recognition of droughts in a timely manner is dependent on our ability to moni- lor and forecast lhe diverse physical indicators of drought, as well as relevant eco. nomic, social and environmental impacts. Unfortunately, due to the lack of a national drought policy, there has been no development to dale of a coordinated, integrated drought monitoring and forecasting system. Recent trends toward increased climate variability and vulnerability to drought amplify the need lor leadership to formulate and implement a more integrated mon- itoring and forecasting system. Indeed, as the WGA noted in its September 2003 resolution, National Policies Regarding Global Climate Change, "The failure to take appropriate actions to address global climate change riSKS economic and societal damage." Water users across the board - farmers. ranchers, tribes, land managers, business owners, recreationalists, wildlife managers, and decision-makers at all lev- cIs of government - must be able to assess their drought risk in real time and before the onset of drought, in order to make informed decisions. The U.S. Drought Monitor, created in 1999 to better integrate data on current conditions, is an important new tool in monitoring drought. The U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook, created in 2000, strives to better forecast drought Ilowever, these two information sources. while very helpful, are initial indicators of the benefits that will be gained from fuller integration of relevant and available data to improve monitoring, provide a better understanding of how and why droughts occur, enhance dissemination of information at the relevant spatial and temporal scales, and, ultimately, improve the forecasting of droughts. . . oil