In 1992 Australias Commonwealth and State governments announced the introduction of a National Drought Policy adopting an innovative risk management approach, which received broad support from Australias major political parties and the policy community.

This trail-blazing attempt and the experiences with the development and implementation of this policy over the past decade have intrigued the international scientific and policy communities. The present book comprises an academically focused collection of papers, which the Editors hope will provide others moving in a similar direction with the benefit of experience. The work highlights the successes and challenges of a move from disaster to risk management in responding to drought.

As such it will be a valuable and useful addition to the international literature on drought preparedness and response.

(a) Dr Linda Botterill is a Post Doctoral Fellow in the National Europe Centre at the Australian National University where she is undertaking research on agricultural policy in Australia and Europe. She also lectures in political science in the School of Social Sciences. Dr Botterill has extensive experience in public policy having worked in the Australian Government Department of Primary Industries and Energy, as an adviser to two Cabinet Ministers and as a policy officer in two industry associations before undertaking her doctorate in political science at the ANU.

(b) Dr. Donald A. Wilhite is the founder and director of the National Drought Mitigation Center and Professor, School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has extensive experience in drought planning and policy, drought mitigation, and drought monitoring. Dr. Wilhite has worked with many federal agencies and state governments in the United States and with many foreign governments and international organizations on a broad range of drought management issues.

Living in the Australian Environment.- Climate and Drought in the Subtropics: The Australian Example.- Indigenous Water Philosophy in an Uncertain Land.- Late Twentieth Century Approaches to Living with Uncertainty: The National Drought Policy.- Managing Risk?: Social Policy Responses in Time of Drought.- Drought, News Media and Policy Debate.- At the Intersection of Science and Politics: Defining Exceptional Drought.- Drought Risk as a Negotiated Construct.- Prospects for Insuring Against Drought in Australia.- Policy for Agricultural Drought in Australia: An Economics Perspective.- Drought Policy and Preparedness: The Australian Experience in an International Context.- Lessons for Australia and Beyond.