Mark Svoboda, Don Wilhite National Drought Mitigation Center University of Nebraska-Lincoln NDMC NASA Project Activities: Objectives and Deliverables NASA Project Kick-off Meeting, Lincoln, NE Apr 24-25, 2007

NDMC Objectives and Deliverables 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 In Year 1:

NDMC Objectives and Deliverables 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 MODIS- based 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 In Year 2:

NDMC Objectives and Deliverables 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 In Year 3:

Federal, State, Local, Tribal, Regional/Watersheds WGA (2004), NIDIS Bill (2006), USGEO (2006) Preceded by: Western States Water Policy Commission (1998), NDMC, National Drought Bill efforts (2000) 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 systemCoordinate a national drought monitoring and forecasting system Creating a drought early warning systemCreating 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)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)Designing mechanisms for improved interaction with public (education materials, for a, etc) Slide 4

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 Past Meetings/Future Directions cont’d…….. Slide 7

Drought indicators based on available preliminary data differ greatly from final data in some areas.Drought indicators based on available preliminary data differ greatly from final data in some areas. NIDIS Operations: Improved Monitoring Slide 10

Time Scale Warnings & Alert Coordination Watches Forecasts Threats Assessments Guidance Outlook Product Source NOAA Service Requirement across scales Discover Climate Weather Proof of Concept ExperimentalOperationalDevelopment ResearchOperations Suite of cooperatively defined User and Stakeholder Information Needs Knowledge Slide 11

NIDIS Data information and assimilation and model: U.S. Drought Portal 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, Internet- based drought portal. What is a Portal? Sites on the World Wide Web that typically provide personalized capabilities for their visitors. 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

The NIDIS Project Office: Structure, implementation teams and governance (incl.Exec. Council)The NIDIS Project Office: Structure, implementation teams and governance (incl.Exec. Council) NationalNational Engaging the preparedness communitiesEngaging the preparedness communities Monitoring and forecasting: gaps and capacityMonitoring and forecasting: gaps and capacity Education and OutreachEducation and Outreach Integrated research for generating drought risk scenariosIntegrated research for generating drought risk scenarios The Drought PortalThe Drought Portal Climate Test-BedClimate Test-Bed Regional/State DEWS Pilots: Goals, Design, Implementation, Evaluation, TransferabilityRegional/State DEWS Pilots: Goals, Design, Implementation, Evaluation, Transferability Partnerships: Federal, State, Tribal, Local, WatershedsPartnerships: Federal, State, Tribal, Local, Watersheds Making NIDIS Operational Slide 16

Types of drought and types of management units: Large watersheds, WGA-relevant basins,Large watersheds, WGA-relevant basins, Individual States and countiesIndividual States and counties Under-served or as yet under-represented unit (state) for testing transferabilityUnder-served or as yet under-represented unit (state) for testing transferabilityOther Support from other regions e.g. RISAs, through ‘Coping with Drought’ other agency funding on drought research and response (NASA, USDA/RMA)Support from other regions e.g. RISAs, through ‘Coping with Drought’ other agency funding on drought research and response (NASA, USDA/RMA) Project Team DEWS Pilot Design Recommendations Slide 17

End NIDIS Slide 27

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Assimilation Needs: Where to from Here? Communication/coordination w/ drought community Usable/applicable products for monitoring Delivery/Integration of deliverables into the DM Integration into NIDIS (county level)? Transition to operational Improving DSS (RMA/NIDIS) Outreach efforts (RMA workshops/NIDIS) Future??