Water crisis, drought, and climate change in the southeast United States

•A dual climate-social science methodology was used to examine drought and residential factors.•The construal level theory was operationalized to explore space, time, and social inclusion.•Significant models with social and climatic factors emerged that enhanced fit up to 26.8%.•Residents in non-crisis areas were 25 times more likely to perceive water availability issues. This study seeks to better understand the complex relationships between water resources, drought, residents, and organizations within the context of climate change. In regions where droughts have occurred, or where they are anticipated, water availability becomes a key concern for local residents, organizational leaders, and governmental officials who fear socioeconomic hardships. The focal theory, the construal level theory, is expanded by: (1) exploring resident understanding about water availability and climate change, and (2) assessing the impact of resident proximity to an environmental crisis and the presence of drought conditions. A dual social-climate science quantitative approach is introduced to explore the role of actual climatic conditions on important residential and organizational outcomes. To capture spatial proximity, an experimental design is used where residents within (experimental group) and outside (control group) water crisis areas were surveyed. For residents in water crisis areas, perceived use of water compared to neighbors, residential attribution for water shortages, and age are significantly related to perceived household water availability and only farm irrigation attribution for water shortages is significantly related to state-level water policy support. For residents in non-crisis areas, actual drought conditions and industrial attribution for water shortages are significantly related to water availability perceptions and water conservation, climate change attribution for water shortages, and age are significantly related to state-level water policy support. This is the first study to the authors’ knowledge to demonstrate the impact of actual drought conditions on individual perceptions about water security. Construal level theory application and implications are discussed.