Primary Convener:
Azar Abadi, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Convener:
Mark Svoboda, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Jesse Bell, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Chair:
Azar Abadi, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Jesse Bell, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Droughts are escalating in frequency and severity, exposing critical vulnerabilities in public health systems and water infrastructure. Recent events, such as the 2023 saltwater intrusion into southeast Louisiana’s municipal water supplies during low Mississippi River flow, underscore how drought can immediately threaten safe drinking water and increase health risks. This session invites interdisciplinary research examining how drought contributes to health impacts—whether through water quality degradation, service disruptions, heat-health interactions, or increased disease vulnerability. We encourage work that investigates drivers of risk, including structural inequities, policy gaps, and climate-related stressors. Submissions may focus on empirical findings, methodological innovations, monitoring approaches, or community-level responses that strengthen resilience. Case studies, surveillance data, and evaluations of mitigation efforts are welcome. We aim to highlight emerging knowledge to inform more holistic drought preparedness, integrating perspectives from public health, environmental science, and water management to better protect communities in an era of compounding climate threats.

Index Terms
0230 Impacts of climate change: human health
1812 Drought
1817 Extreme events
4330 Vulnerability

Suggested Itineraries:
Disasters‚ Calamities and Extreme Events

Cross-Listed:
NH - Natural Hazards
SY - Science and Society
A - Atmospheric Sciences
H - Hydrology

Co-Organized Sessions:
Hydrology

Neighborhoods:
3. Earth Covering
1. Science Nexus