NDMC NASA Project Activities: Objectives and Deliverables Mark Svoboda, Don Wilhite National Drought Mitigation Center University of Nebraska-Lincoln NASA Project Kick-off Meeting, Lincoln, NE Apr 24-25, 2007 NDMC Objectives and Deliverables In Year 1: Conduct examination of the USDM process to communicate the current system approach and process of drought monitor map production Provide guidance to establish (a) input data requirements, format, and interfacing, (b) system requirements for the USDM to assimilate new remote sensing data, and (c) processing requirements to improve USDM outputs Ingest remote sensing results and products into the existing operational U.S. Drought Monitor system and evaluate their utility Participate with an Advisory Board, drought information users, drought specialists and decision makers for improving the USDM Provide guidance and collaborate in research addressing the NDWI and its value for drought monitoring NDMC Objectives and Deliverables In Year 2: Implement remote sensing data product ingestion into an advanced USDM prototype environment: initial evaluation and validation of improvements in drought products, producing initial improved drought maps for decision support; distribution of improved drought products over the Internet to users via the NDMC web site Benchmark existing and new USDM results using the MODISbased system (in collaboration with NASA and USGS) results to determine and quantify the improvements Participate in a demonstration of the improved USDM prototype Collect feedback from the Drought Advisory Board, drought information users, drought specialists and decision makers for further improving the USDM NDMC Objectives and Deliverables In Year 3: Implement an advanced USDM that can ingest the remote sensing data product arrays; integrate improvements obtained from the advanced USDM prototype into an advanced USDM operational environment for decision support Lead a demonstration of the advanced USDM system in the operational environment Examine and document the transition of the advanced USDM system into the next generation of a national drought decision support system such as NIDIS, and if feasible, into a global drought decision support system (e.g. the Global Earth Observing System of Systems) Collect, assemble and condense feedback from the Drought Advisory Board, drought information users, drought specialists (e.g., the Drought Monitor expert list-serve is now around 225 people), and decision makers for transitioning this improved USDM into an advanced National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Present and publish advanced results in conferences or journal papers WGA (2004), NIDIS Bill (2006), USGEO (2006) Preceded by: Western States Water Policy Commission (1998), NDMC, National Drought Bill efforts (2000) Federal, State, Local, Tribal, Regional/Watersheds Slide 3 NIDIS VISION and GOALS “A dynamic and accessible drought information system that provides users with the ability to determine the potential impacts of drought and the associated risks they bring, and the decision support tools needed to better prepare for and mitigate the effects of drought.” Implementation requires: • Coordinate a national drought monitoring and forecasting system • Creating a drought early warning system • Providing an interactive drought information delivery system for products and services—including an internet portal and standardized products (databases, forecasts, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), maps, etc) • Designing mechanisms for improved interaction with public (education materials, for a, etc) Slide 4 Past Meetings/Future Directions cont’d…….. 2007: NOAA Integrated Water Resource Services August 07: Drought Portal prototype testing September 07: Preliminary Workshops to initiate team development and project design in at least two pilot locations Spring 2008: National Workshop on the status of drought early warning in the U.S.: indicators and triggers Slide 7 NIDIS Operations: Improved Monitoring • Drought indicators based on available preliminary data differ greatly from final data in some areas. Slide 10 NOAA Service Requirement across scales Climate Outlook Threats Assessments Forecasts Time Scale Guidance Suite of cooperatively defined User and Stakeholder Information Needs Watches Warnings & Alert Coordination Weather Product Source Discover Research Development Proof of Concept Knowledge Experimental Operational Operations Slide 11 NIDIS Data information and assimilation and model: U.S. Drought Portal The USDP will provide county, regional and national drought-related products (analysis, forecasts, and research) to a variety of users, ranging from individuals whose livelihood is impacted by drought to large corporations, water managers and the research community through a dynamic, Internetbased drought portal. What is a Portal? Sites on the World Wide Web that typically provide personalized capabilities for their visitors. U.S. Drought Portal US GEO Context: Slide 13 Portal Home: Key Clearinghouse Functions: Credibility, Legitimacy, Accessibility, Reliability (timeliness etc.) to answer Where are drought conditions now? Does this event look like other events? How is the drought affecting me? Will the drought continue? Where can I go for help? Slide 14 Making NIDIS Operational • The NIDIS Project Office: Structure, implementation teams and governance (incl.Exec. Council) • National • Engaging the preparedness communities • Monitoring and forecasting: gaps and capacity • Education and Outreach • Integrated research for generating drought risk scenarios • The Drought Portal • Climate Test-Bed • Regional/State DEWS Pilots: Goals, Design, Implementation, Evaluation, Transferability • Partnerships: Federal, State, Tribal, Local, Watersheds Slide 16 Project Team DEWS Pilot Design Recommendations Types of drought and types of management units: • Large watersheds, WGA-relevant basins, • Individual States and counties • Under-served or as yet under-represented unit (state) for testing transferability Other • Support from other regions e.g. RISAs, through ‘Coping with Drought’ other agency funding on drought research and response (NASA, USDA/RMA) Slide 17 NIDIS End Slide 27 Thank you! Please visit us at: http://drought.unl.edu/ Please contact me at: msvoboda2@unl.edu