The Department of Commerce and NOAA have announced US$15.3m in funding for NOAA and external collaborators to provide transparent climate projection products and equitable services for the public. This work will address increased demand by public and private sectors for reliable, long-term extreme weather climate information.
US$15.3m funding for climate projections
“This investment, made possible thanks to President Biden’s historic Inflation Reduction Act, will develop new information services to help communities better prepare for the impacts of extreme weather and climate disasters brought on by climate change – ensuring that families and communities across the country stay safe as we continue to mitigate the rising challenges from the climate crisis,” said US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
With this funding, NOAA will support multi-decadal climate projections to provide transparent climate information for users, addressing a wide array of risks like heavy precipitation, temperature extremes, drought and coastal flooding. This information will help users understand these risks and how they are expected to change in the future.
Researchers will use NOAA’s existing resources and new cloud-based computing platforms to co-develop and disseminate these climate projections to users with the goal of creating sustainable, clear, trustworthy products to help decision makers plan for future climate conditions.
As part of this effort, researchers will work closely with decision makers, including groups focused on western water resources, heat waves, coastal flood risk, wildfire risk and extreme wind events, to develop customized climate information. The American Society of Civil Engineers is a key initial partner in the co-development of this capability.
User-focused applications
NOAA will further its ability to move climate model data from its research enterprise into user-focused applications. This work will be based on the best available science and research, including the outcomes of 13 previously Inflation Reduction Act-funded projects that are also designed to improve our understanding of how key phenomena in the climate system are changing.
“With this investment, NOAA and our partners are working directly with diverse end-user groups to co-develop climate services tailored to specific needs such as addressing coastal inundation, extreme heat, wildfires and other climate impacts,” said Jainey K Bavishi, assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and deputy NOAA administrator. “The climate services that will be produced by this research are crucial for community resilience across the country.”
In related news, the Department of Commerce and NOAA recently announced US$22.78m in funding to NOAA labs, programs, cooperative institutes and other partners to advance research on a wide range of water-driven climate impacts. Research topics include flood mapping and forecasting, next-generation water modeling studies, and modernizing estimates of extreme precipitation. Click here to read the full story.