This study on drought assessment and management first emphasizes theoretical aspects of drought assessment, management, and preparedness; it also includes a discussion of the concept of drought. It then presents case studies from Israel, India, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, the US and China.

Several of these case studies provide insight into the difficulties inherent in the provision of timely and effective drought assistance by government in both a developed and developing country setting. The lessons learned in these instances provide both an opportunity and challenge to other drought-prone nations to learn from these experiences and avoid some of the mistakes of the past. Some of the case studies in Part Two illustrate remarkable progress in drought preparedness and are examples for other nations to follow.

Part 1 Theory: The enigma of drought
D.A. Wilhite. Monitoring regional drought conditions
K.G. Hubbard. The role of NOAA satellite data in drought early warning and monitoring: selected case studies
G.E Johnson, V. Rao Achutuni. S. Thiruvengadachari, F Kogan. Assessing the regional consequences of drought: putting the MINK methodology to work on today's problems
W.E. Easterling. Agricultural drought management strategies to alleviate impacts: examples from the arid and subhumid regions of the Indian subcontinent
A.S.R.A.S. Sastri. Planning for drought: a methodology
D.A. Wilhite. Implications of global warming for climate variability and the occurrence of extreme climate events
L.O. Meams. Part 2 Case Studies: Drought risk and water management in Israel: planning for the future
H.J. Bruins. Indian drought management: from vulnerability to resilience
A.R. Subbiah. Drought and policy responses in the Brazilian Northeast
A. Rocha Magalhaes. Drought policy in the Republic of South Africa
J.J. Bruwer. Drought in Australia: prediction, monitoring, management, and policy
D. White, D. Collins, M. Howden. Drought mitigation in the United States: progress by state government
D.A. Wilhite, S.L. Rhodes. Institutional responses to the 1987-92 California drought
J. Rich. Drought in China: present impacts and future needs
Kerang Li, Xianchao Lin.