‘New normal’ of drought requires new ways of thinking about our water and food supply

California is in the midst of another drought, and experts say the strategy should be more than hoping for an ample supply of rainfall.

There are consequences to having a growing population inhabit the dry, arid conditions of the West, something that even non-experts have recognized. Compounded by the effects of climate change and the specter of more intense dry years soon to come, government officials and residents of the West are exploring how to reframe water conservation efforts toward a more holistic approach.