Clemson Researcher Award Could Aid Drought Forecasting

Research from Clemson University could help scientists, engineers and policymakers better understand drought, considered to be the world’s most widespread natural disaster.

With the help of a prestigious CAREER award from the National Science Foundation, Ashok Mishra, an assistant professor of civil engineering, is building a computer model that will incorporate more factors than drought forecasters currently use and could help predict drought effects as long as six months before they are felt.

South Carolina’s Pickens, Anderson and Oconee counties, an area that includes Clemson, are suffering from extreme drought, while 13 other counties, including Greenville, remain in moderate drought, according to the state Drought Response Committee.

Drought is now commonly measured by how much supply is available, including such factors as rainfall, streamflow and soil moisture.

Mishra plans to go a step further by incorporating historical data and demand into the model. Demand would include where, when and how much water will be needed.

Droughts occur in virtually every climate zone, with as much of 40 percent of the United States experiencing drought at any given time in recent years, Mishra said.

James R. Martin, chair of the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering, said the project is of added significance because it is taking place in one of the country’s fastest-growing regions and can be applied globally.

Martin said Mishra’s research directly addresses one of the world’s most important issues.

“I am delighted that Dr. Mishra has been recognized with a CAREER award,” Martin said. The award included a $505,595 grant to fund Mishra’s research.

“Providing clean water to our fast-growing world is one of the grand challenges identified by the National Academy of Engineering," said Martin. "We often take water for granted in the United States, but 80 percent of the global population faces water insecurity. This issue will grow in importance here and abroad as population levels rise.”