Researchers at UC Merced have discovered that the warming planet lengthens the drought recovery time in California by three months — and possibly longer. California has been in a drought for 14 of the last 20 years.
What's happening?
The research was focused on studying the odds of recovery from past events and comparing those to what the recovery times would be without the warming planet as a factor.
Emily Williams, a postdoctoral scientist with the Sierra Nevada Research Institute, said: "Climate change has fundamentally changed the odds of getting out of drought. It has weighted the dice. This is happening because of warming in summer months, and a good portion of it is because of human-caused climate change."
Why is drought recovery time important?
Higher and drier temperatures raise the risk of forest fires. In 2023 alone, there were 7,127 forest fires in California.
Forest fires destroy everything from forests in natural preserves to acres of private land used for agriculture — like the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties that took 36,000 acres.
Droughts affect the migration of birds that use California's water sources as nesting areas.
Public health is also affected, with upward trends of respiratory illness and exacerbated asthma.
What's being done about drought recovery time?
The Biden-Harris administration announced that they were investing $179 million total in four projects in California and Utah that will support the Large-Scale Water Recycling Program. This will help turn unusable water sources into clean sources. This investment was the largest investment addressing climate change in the history of the United States.
"Water is essential to everything we do: feeding families, growing crops, powering agricultural businesses, sustaining wildlife and safeguarding Tribal subsistence practices," said Secretary Deb Haaland. "As the climate crisis drives severe drought conditions across the West, it will take all of us working together to safeguard our communities and enhance water reliability. Through President Biden's Investing in America agenda, we have historic new investments that are helping us to build a water supply that will sustain future generations."
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The Investing in America agenda has announced more than $3.5 billion for 530 projects since 2021.
Gov. Gavin Newsom also announced in September his new goals with the California Water Plan, Water Supply Strategy, and Water Resilience Portfolio. He will be utilizing funding for building drought and flood resilience, maximizing stormwater capture, supporting reservoir repair and expansion, and more.
At home, it's easy to implement a few lifestyle changes to address planet warming. Reducing air conditioner and heater use, using public transportation, and prioritizing a plant-based diet will greatly reduce your carbon footprint.
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