Managing Drought and Water Scarcity in Federal Political Systems

During the summer of 2015, droughts and water shortages affected federal countries ranging from Australia, Brazil, and Canada to the United States, South Africa, and India. Drought involves coordination challenges in federal political systems where national and subnational governments each play a critical role. According to the Forum of Federations, 25 countries have a federal political system, including many of the oldest federations, Australia, Canada, and the United States, with large geographic territories facing diverse challenges related to drought. In the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) since the late nineteenth century, droughts have been drivers of institutional change in the way water is shared and managed. The drought of the early 2000s was the most intense recorded, and it led to the national government takeover of MDB policy through its Water Act in 2007/ 2008. Droughts in the United States range from localized events and seasonal deficits to severe droughts that affect regional or continental areas over one or many years.