NIDISSoutheast U.S. Drought

Early Warning Information System Planning Meeting

July 21-22

Chapel Hill, NC

Jeffrey L. Payne

Deputy Director

NOAA Coastal Services Center

The Regional Connection in NOAA

• NOAA’s regional collaboration

– 8 regional teams

– Goals:

• Improved services for the benefit of NOAA’s customers

• Increased value and productivity of partnerships

• Improved stakeholder relations and support

• Improved internal communications and efficiency across NOAA’s existing organizational structure

• And…Sea Grant, Regional Climate Centers, Cooperative Institutes, IOOS Regional Associations, NOAA line offices, RISAs (CISA; SCC), Regional Ocean Governance…

Role of Regional Collaboration in Climate

Services• Engage stakeholders and value context

(long-term)• Understand regionally-specific climate

issues and needs• Facilitate a shared vision of service and

a one-NOAA (and beyond) approach• Bring appropriate parts of NOAA to bear• Promote awareness and understanding

of capabilities within region (NOAA and external)

Climate Change/Drought and Southeastern Coastal States Impacts

• Demographics and socio-economics – more people, economic activity and infrastructure at risk

• Changing water levels – erosion, aquifer depletion, saline intrusion, loss of protective features

• Precipitation and temperature patterns – drought, fire, freshwater supply and quality, movement of nutrients and pollutants, sediment transport

• Ecosystem integrity and demand for ecosystem services – provisioning, regulating and supporting services; living resources and habitats; invasive species; disease carriers; land use

Understanding and Addressing Impacts: Illustrative Needs

• Systems approach – to modeling and observing regions and cities (physical processes, social infrastructure, human practices)

• Monitoring data, predictions and projections – consistent baseline data, standards, trusted results, evaluation of effectiveness

• Risk and vulnerability assessment – information on risks associated with extreme and chronic events (drought) and impacts (social, economic, structural) to provide science foundation for evaluating adaptation strategies and investment options

• Decision support tools, maps and visualizations – usefulness of information for public works investments (resilient siting and design), green infrastructure, and relocation considerations

• Communication, literacy and capacity – contextualize for scale and culture; integrate physical, natural and socioeconomic information; build capacity; uncertainty; awareness of risks and benefits of actions

Climate and Regional:Illustrative Activities

• Southeast– NIDIS Early Warning System for the SE Drought

Workshop; ecosystem and water quality impacts (Apr 08)

– SE Natural Resource Leadership Group Workshop on Adapting to Climate Change in the SE (May 08)

– Coastal Carolinas Ecosystem Services and Human Well-Being Workshop (with EPA), including climate change impacts on ecosystem services (Jan 09)

– Development of the South Atlantic Alliance – community resilience to hazards and climate change one of four priorities

– Integration with NOAA climate portals; distributing climate related tools, training, data, and resources

– HMT-SE workshops (Feb 09 and June 09)

Importance of Partnerships

• Strengthen relationships with NOAA extramural partners as enablers– Estuarine Research Reserves, Regional Climate Centers, Fishery

Management Councils, Cooperative Institutes, RISAs, Cooperative Observers, Coastal Zone Management Programs

• Leverage associations and governance structures– Integrated Ocean Observing System Regional Association– Assoc. of State Floodplain Managers; State Emergency

Management Assoc.– Regional Ocean Governance

• Nurture grassroots, regional and interagency activities– NOAA in the Carolinas– Sea Grant-sponsored regional research priorities planning– Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability

(SERPPAS)

• Promote interactions with less-traditional partners– Land trusts; alternative agriculture sector; green infrastructure– National Association of Counties– U.S. Chambers of Commerce

Backup Slides

Additional Information

Climate Change Adaptation Guidebook

Allison Castellan(OCRM)• Estimated completion in February 09

• Strategies and approaches to adaptation for coastal managers

Climate Training/ToolkitStephanie Fauver (CSC)

Cathy Angell (NERR)• Eventually to be an online training

as part of a toolkit• First effort is Padilla Bay Workshop

Coastal Community Planning and Development Training

Tricia Ryan (CSC)• Revision of CSC/SG/EPA smart growth training

course to include resilience

NOAA Climate Portal

Dave Eslinger (CSC)

Coastal No Adverse Impact Toolkit

Audra Luscher (CSC)• Currently a training/handbook focused

on hazards, not necessarily climate change• Could incorporate modules based on SLR

adaptation – logical place to start• Will likely have FY10 opportunities

for collaboration

Nationally Applicable Tools and Training

Communicating Climate Change and Scientific Uncertainty

Dave MacNeill (NY SG)• Literature review of peer-reviewed

publications relating to communicating uncertainty

• Bibliography available shortly

Climate Adaptation Website

Stephanie Fauver (CSC)• Estimated completion in ??

Expanded Description of Coastal Projects Proposed for Climate Portal

Coastal Inundation Mapping TrainingDoug Marcy (CSC)

• two-day course, targeted at certified floodplain managers, National Weather Service personnel,

and county, state, and municipal officials, teaches participants about coastal inundation issues

and spatial techniques for mapping inundation

North Carolina SLR workCarol Auer (NCCOS)• Impacts of SLR on coastal habitats

• a coastal flooding model •Habitat simulation module

•sedimentation vs plant growth•GIS-based predictive tool

•all inclusive landscape model

Great Lakes ClimateChange & Coastal Habitats w/TNC

Lindy Dingerson (CSC)• Examining coastal habitat impacts of lowered

Lake levels – wetlands, grasses• Focus on segments of shoreline

in Lake Ontario

Great Lakes – Prep for Climate Change

Rochelle Sturtevant (Sea Grant)• looking at Lake level dropping and impacts

to socio/economic/physical/etc. impacts

NOAA Climate Portal

Dave Eslinger (CSC)

Predicting Impacts of Water Level Changes

Expanded Description of Coastal Projects Proposed for Climate Portal