Table of Contents - National Drought Mitigation Center - The ...

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term global and regional reanalyses are required for
model forecast initialization and evaluation. This
includes a full set of land and ocean conditions
necessary for generating the hindcasts that are used
to calibrate the model forecasts.
In the near-term, Working Group efforts will be focused on
improving the density of soil moisture sensors, improving
timeliness of reservoir data, and identifying priorities
for improved monitoring as feedback to federal and state
agencies. NIDIS will work to augment this capability
by installing soil sensors at the 114 Climate Reference
Network sites using a phased approach, and also install
telecommunications equipment at 200 western reservoirs
at the rate of 20 reservoirs per year.
Another major near-term goal of this Working Group
will be to identify the impact of soil moisture anomalies
based on e.g., North American Land Data Assimilation
System (NLDAS) outputs. The soil moisture precipitation
relationships are seasonally and regionally dependent.
While differences among soil and hydrological products
generated by different NLDAS models are large, anomalies
computed with respect to each model’s long term mean tend
to capture realistic variability. For soil-related properties,
ensemble mean anomalies can enhance the signal and
decrease uncertainties.
The Working Group will also promote awareness of drought
monitoring products derived from satellite remote sensing,
work closely with the Integrated Research and Preparedness
Working Group to guide the development of user-based
drought-related triggers.
5.4 NIDIS Interdisciplinary Research and Applications
Developing and supporting a framework for collaboration
between researchers and managers is important to the
success of NIDIS. A shortcoming of existing drought
research programs is a relative lack of sustained interactions
between the research community and beneficiaries. Linking
research programs to, for example, the users of the NIDIS
Portal would ensure sustained interactions and provide
a feedback mechanism to those funding and conducting
drought research.
Environmental resources and services often receive
inadequate attention during drought emergencies and
in drought planning, not necessarily because of lack of
concern but because of lack of expertise in this arena, lack
of adequate financial resources, and sometimes lack of
awareness. Addressing environmental concerns and services
(on which economic activities such as recreation and tourism
might depend) in relation to drought is best accomplished
in the context of existing integrated watershed, coastal,
and ecosystem management and restoration programs.
NIDIS will actively engage these planning and development
programs, especially as drought impacts extend across state
boundaries and borders. The goal is to enable decisionmakers,
such as urban water managers, to conduct “if-then” scenarios
within their planning horizons, in which the frequency,
extent, severity, and longevity of past droughts can be used
to study potential impacts of emerging drought conditions
under alternative management strategies. Such models will
characterize the inherent uncertainties associated with
forecasts and scenario assessments, and provide guidance
on their usability for planning.
Requirements:
1. Coordination of Existing Drought Research and Applications
Activities
An Integrated Research Coordination Board (IRCB) will
be created by the NPO and this Working Group to compile
an inventory of ongoing drought research, implement a
structured process to assess knowledge gaps, conduct sector
and regional stakeholder workshops to connect agency
activities to applications, and provide guidance to research
agencies for drought-related priorities. This Board will
consist of no more than 15 members who will be drawn from
NIDIS participating federal agencies; local, state, and Native
American tribal governments; academia; non-governmental
organizations; and other stakeholder representatives.
Members shall serve 3-year staggered terms and have an
option for reappointment. In the event of a vacancy, the
organization from which that member originated shall
appoint a successor to fill the remainder of the term. In the
interim, the Board will be chaired by the sub-team leads
from the NPIT and report to the NIDIS Director. In the
long-term, IRCB members shall nominate one member
representing the federal agencies and one member external
to federal government to be Chair and Co-Chair, subject to
approval by the NIDIS Program Director and NPIT.
2. Integrate Causal Factors into Adaptive Management
Regardless of the agency or arena in which research is
conducted, it is critical to develop an understanding of the
relationships between biophysical measures and models of