摘要：The prolonged drought over large portions of the West generated a set of adverse and costly effects in
2002, ranging from record wildfires in Oregon, to large fish kills in California¡¯s Klamath River triggered by warm
water temperatures. In some regions of the West, drought has persisted for nearly a decade, leading to severe
stress on vegetation and water resources. The intensity and frequency of recent droughts has raised concerns
that fundamental climate shifts may be occurring in the western U.S. and elsewhere, due perhaps to the
generally rising temperatures observed globally over the past decade. This paper reviews the current
understanding of possible links between drought and global climate change, the physical and economic
consequences of drought, and the potential to mitigate the adverse consequences of such climatic events
using long term climate forecasts and other meteorological information.
