Developing Regional Climate Services Developing Regional Climate Services at NOAA:at NOAA:

Today and TomorrowToday and Tomorrow

June 9, 2010

Dan Walker, Ph.D.Chief, Climate Assessment and Services DivisionNOAA’s Climate Program Office

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The nation faces real climate challenges

Droughts

WaveHeights

Heatwaves

Atlantic Hurricanes

Heavy Rain Events

27.2°C

~3

Sea Surface Temp.

Hurricane Power Index

27.6°C

~4.5

1950 2005

~12%

~11%

Western U.S.Contiguous U.S.

~40%

~37%

~15%~10%

% Area with Hot Daily Low Temps

% Area with Hot Daily High Temps

-13%15%

0%

~ 3 meters~ 3.9 meters

1950 2005

So, Where NOAA is Headed with Regional Climate Services?

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Information Delivery and Decision SupportNOAA uses its national and regional infrastructure to deliver climate services today

Assessments of Climate Change and Impacts NOAA is a leader in national and regional climate impact assessments Over 70% of Federal IPCC AR4 WG1 authors were from NOAA

Climate Change Research and ModelingInternationally recognized models of the global climate

Climate Observations and MonitoringNOAA operates over 90 observation and monitoring systemsNOAA is mandated to monitor and provide access to climate data and information

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Security

Forestry

Water

Health

Infrastructure

Oceans

Other

Energy

LandManagement

Global

NOAA commits to providing critical assets in science and service to a Federal partnership NOAA’s Assets

Partnerships & Collaboration

*Representative Organizations & Sectors

*

*

Regional Climate Services Enterprise: A Conceptual Pearl

Regional Climate Services Enterprise: A Conceptual Pearl

Regional Climate Services Enterprise: A Conceptual Pearl

Regional Climate Services Enterprise: A Conceptual Pearl

Regional Climate Services Enterprise: A Conceptual Pearl

Regional Climate Services Enterprise: A Conceptual Pearl

Important Regional Partnerships

OVERVIEW of Climate Program Office OVERVIEW of Climate Program Office

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INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR CLIMATE AND INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR CLIMATE AND SOCIETY (IRI)SOCIETY (IRI)

Promotes Promotes sustainable sustainable

developmentdevelopmentgoals by helping goals by helping

manage manage vulnerabilityvulnerability

associated with associated with short-term climateshort-term climate

variability and variability and longer-term longer-term

climateclimatechangechange

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CSI-Water Coping with Drought in CSI-Water Coping with Drought in Support of NIDIS: Support of NIDIS: Supports applications Supports applications research addressing human populations research addressing human populations coping with drought within the U.S. or U.S. coping with drought within the U.S. or U.S. trans-boundary areas.trans-boundary areas.

CSI-Coasts:CSI-Coasts: Catalyzes and supports applications Catalyzes and supports applications research that links climate science with practical research that links climate science with practical challenges in coastal regions. Coastal challenges in coastal regions. Coastal communities face a complex suite of interrelated communities face a complex suite of interrelated issues, which can be compounded by climate issues, which can be compounded by climate variability and change.variability and change.

CSI-Water: CSI-Water: Supports applications research on Supports applications research on the influence of climate on water resource the influence of climate on water resource management primarily in urban environments, management primarily in urban environments, where over half of the world’s population where over half of the world’s population currently resides, and points us toward specific currently resides, and points us toward specific products and information services that will products and information services that will enhance response/coping capacity.enhance response/coping capacity.

CSI SECTORAL RESEARCHCSI SECTORAL RESEARCH

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REGIONAL INTEGRATED SCIENCES AND ASSESSMENTS (RISA) REGIONAL INTEGRATED SCIENCES AND ASSESSMENTS (RISA)

Supports integrated, place-Supports integrated, place-based research across social, based research across social, natural, and physical science natural, and physical science

disciplines as well as disciplines as well as outreach activities to expand outreach activities to expand decision-makers options and decision-makers options and

capacities in the face of capacities in the face of climate variability and climate variability and

change at local and regional change at local and regional levelslevels

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• CoordinatingCoordinating national drought national drought monitoring and forecasting systems monitoring and forecasting systems

• Providing an Providing an interactive drought interactive drought information clearinghouseinformation clearinghouse and delivery and delivery system for products and services—system for products and services—including an internet portal and including an internet portal and standardized products (databases, standardized products (databases, forecasts, Geographic Information forecasts, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), maps, etc)Systems (GIS), maps, etc)

• Designing mechanisms for Designing mechanisms for improving improving and incorporatingand incorporating information to information to support coordinated preparedness and support coordinated preparedness and planningplanning

NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT INFORMATION SYSTEM NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT INFORMATION SYSTEM (NIDIS)(NIDIS)

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NIDIS Objectives: NIDIS Objectives: Creating a drought early warning Creating a drought early warning informationinformation systemsystem

NIDIS EARLY WARNING SYSTEM PILOTSNIDIS EARLY WARNING SYSTEM PILOTS

CaliforniCaliforniaa

MissouriMissouri

MississippiMississippi

OklahomaOklahoma

Colorado River Colorado River BasinBasin

MontanaMontana

Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay

SoutheaSoutheastst

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Selected by Drought-type and Analysis UnitsSelected by Drought-type and Analysis Units

Organizing NOAA Research To Support Regional Climate Service

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RISA Network THE REGIONAL BACKBONE

Organizing NOAA Research To Support Regional Climate Service

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CSI-Regions

CSI-Water

CSI-Coasts

Organizing NOAA Research To Support Regional Climate Service

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CSI-Regions

CSI-Water

IRITransboundary

Centralized Analytical Support (MAPP)

CSI-Coasts

Visit www.climate.govVisit www.climate.gov

Questions? Questions?

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