Drought is a multi-faceted concept which defies attempts at precise and objective definition. This ambiguity
causes confusion and indecision, resulting in either inaction or ad hoc responses which do not fully consider
the complex, long-term ecological and socio-economic interactions associated with water shortages (Wilhite
and Glantz 1985). The media and politicians tend to blur and distort public perceptions of drought by
characterizing the consequences of drought as something exceptional, thereby portraying drought as a
temporary, climatic aberration. Consequently, each time a serious drought occurs, millions of words are written
about crop failures, land misuse, overpopulation, and rainfall record (Tannehill 1947), but because drought is
often handled in the policy arena as an abnormal event, it usually is not taken seriously in planning once
expected rainfall patterns resume. Drought is an inevitable part of normal climate fluctuation and should be
considered as a recurring, albeit unpredictable, environmental feature which must be included in planning.
Muddled views and lagged responses toward drought pose a threat to sustainable management of rangelands