Mark Svoboda, Climatologist Monitoring Program Area Leader

National Drought Mitigation Center University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Monitoring Drought Beyond the Americas

CHANGE WorkshopMexico City, Mexico March 5-6, 2009

NDMC International Activities

Morocco Drought

Observatory

Drought/Climate Change Coping

Strategies-UNDP DDC

NATO Science Program-Czech Republic

South Korea National Drought

Center

Australian-U.S. Drought Workshop

China/US Drought Monitoring Project

w/NOAA/USDA

North American Drought Monitor

UNESCO Integrated Drought Risk Management

Center for Southern Africa

Mediterranean Drought Mitigation

Workshop

African Drought Risk Policy Forum

w/UNDP DDC

ISDR Drought Discussion Group

MEDROPLAN Project-EC

Pakistan National Drought Center

Jordan TCP-FAO

Drought Management Center SE Europe

Multiple competing valuesMultiple, competing

objectives

EcosystemsEcosystemshealthhealth

HydropowerHydropower

RecreationRecreation

FloodFloodcontrolcontrol AgricultureAgriculture

ConsumptiveConsumptiveuseuse

Percent Change in Total Population, 1990-Percent Change in Total Population, 1990-20002000

Source: U.S. Geological Survey, National Atlas of the United States

5 5

1 4 31 4 3

22

Drought Monitoring Centre for Southeast Europe (DMCSEE), Slovenia

Beijing Climate Center

NIDIS ObjectivesNIDIS Objectives

Creating a drought early warning Creating a drought early warning informationinformation systemsystem

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

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

• Designing Designing mechanismsmechanisms for improving information to for improving information to support support coordinatedcoordinated preparedness and planning preparedness and planning

Early Warning System componentsEarly Warning System components

• Monitoring and forecastingMonitoring and forecasting

• Risk assessment: Indicators and triggersRisk assessment: Indicators and triggers

• Drought risk planning and preparednessDrought risk planning and preparedness

• Drought PortalDrought Portal

• Communication and EducationCommunication and Education

Drought.gov

Regional Networks

West Asia NetworkMediterranean Network

Eastern and Central European Network

South American Network

North American Network

Sub-Saharan African Network

Asian Network

Individually, many nations will be unable to improve drought coping capacity.

Collectively, through global, regional, and national partnerships, we can share information and experiences to reduce the impacts of drought.

Global Drought Preparedness Network

What is GEOSS?: The Global Earth Observation System of Systems

The Global Earth Observation System of Systems will provide decision-support tools to a wide variety of users. As with the Internet, GEOSS will be a global and flexible network of content providers allowing decision makers to access an extraordinary range of information at their desk.

Global Drought

Click on a Location to Zoom to Information for the Continent

Zoom to Region:

Region

Add/Overlay Map:

Pamler Z-Index

Palmer Drought Index

Palmer Hydro Drought index

Vegetation Health

Soil Moisture

Add/Overlay Map:

Pamler Z-Index

Palmer Drought Index

Palmer Hydro Drought index

Vegetation Health

Soil Moisture

Tailoring and interpretation of national products needed for regional, watershed and local detail (usability, flexibility)

Upscaling of local data to create regionally specific monitors and risk assessment

Where are we now?:Drought Monitoring State of the Science

Heightened awareness as a result of IPCC AR4An explosion of good work/tools/products out there over the past 5 yearsImpediments remain

Lack of coordinationLack of trigger ties to any drought plansResourcesLack of data/long-term dataLack of institutional cooperation

GDPN/GEOSS is a way to learn/leverage from one anotherMany regions/countries are working together to better monitor drought (NADM et al.)Monitoring of impacts globally is virtually non-existent

• The combination of the inherent uncertainty of The combination of the inherent uncertainty of natural variability, plus projections for a warmer natural variability, plus projections for a warmer climate in the 21climate in the 21stst century, make century, make early warningearly warning and and adaptationadaptation more important than ever more important than ever

• NIDIS offers a framework for integration and NIDIS offers a framework for integration and mainstreaming of vulnerability and hazard mainstreaming of vulnerability and hazard information to support adaptation strategiesinformation to support adaptation strategies

• NIDIS is viewed as a prototype for a NIDIS is viewed as a prototype for a National National Climate Service……could a GIDIS serve in a Climate Service……could a GIDIS serve in a similar capacity?similar capacity?

Key issuesKey issues

• What climate and water/drought-related triggers What climate and water/drought-related triggers are used for management and response are used for management and response seasonal operations, long-term planning seasonal operations, long-term planning (watershed, industry, state, county)?(watershed, industry, state, county)?

• How can we most effectively develop and How can we most effectively develop and coordinate information for early warning (onset, coordinate information for early warning (onset, duration, demise, impacts) into drought plans? duration, demise, impacts) into drought plans?

E.g. Exceptional Drought Operation Plan, E.g. Exceptional Drought Operation Plan, Interim Operating Plan, Power needs etc?Interim Operating Plan, Power needs etc?

Any Questions?

Please contact me at:

Mark Svoboda

National Drought Mitigation Center

402-472-8238

msvoboda2@unl.edu

Thank You

Any Questions ?