Enhancing the communication of an early warning system for drought in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

An Early Warning System (EWS) for drought is a proactive management tool that has the potential to prevent and minimize loss of life, infrastructure, and habitats by providing effective and timely warnings of oncoming hazard. In this study, farmers from the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB), Australia's most valuable agricultural region, were interviewed to identify the communication needs and barriers of drought early warning information. A qualitative, thematic analysis was conducted on data collected from semi-structured interviews with MDB farming individuals. Six themes emerged from the data: current communication channels, relevance of information, trust in current communication, communication channels for EWSs, community and trust for EWSs. Collectively, the themes highlighted farmers' needs for accurate, relevant and easy to understand drought information. The need for warning information to be delivered in multiple ways and through multiple mediums was also emphasized. Analysis further found a lack of overall reliance on the current drought information that is provided. Findings of this study highlighted the need for improved user experience in future drought information tools which are localized, demographic specific and involve community consultation. The results obtained in this study will inform future communication strategies for a user-centered integrated EWS for drought.