National Drought Mitigation Center Mission, Objectives, and Products

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National Drought Mitigation Center Mission,
Objectives, and Products
Dr. Donald A. Wilhite, Director National Drought
Mitigation Center International Drought
Information Center School of Natural Resource
Sciences University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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Drought differs from other natural hazards

• slow onset, creeping phenomenon
• absence of a precise, universal definition
• impacts are nonstructural and spread over large
  areasmakes assessment and response difficult
• mitigation interventions are less obvious
• impacts are complex, affect many people, and vary
  spatially and on temporal timescales

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Common Types of Drought Impacts

• Economic
• Agriculture, Forestry, Industry, Tourism and
  recreation, Energy, Financial, Transportation
  
• Social
• Stress and health, Nutrition, Recreation, Public
  safety, Cultural values, Aesthetic values
• Environmental
• Animal/plant, Wetlands, Water quality, Soil
  erosion

1995 FEMA Estimate 6-8 billion annual
losses/costs 20 billion in 2002
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Crisis vs. Risk Management
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Characteristics of Crisis Management

• reactive, post-impact
• poorly coordinated
• untimely
• poorly targeted
• ineffective
• decreases self-reliance ? greater vulnerability

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The Cycle of Disaster Management
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Components of Drought for Risk Management
Hazard
Risk
Vulnerability
x

(natural event)
(social factors)
Climatology, Probabilities, Forecasts
Population growth and shiftsUrbanization Technolo
gy Land use practices Environment
degradation Water use trends Government
policies Environmental awareness
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National Drought Mitigation Center
Mission To lessen societal vulnerability to
drought by promoting planning and the adoption
of appropriate risk management techniques.
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Principal Activities of the NDMC

• Integrated Climate/Water Monitoring System
• Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI)
• NDMC Drought Watch section of web site
• U.S. Drought Monitor (USDA, NOAA, NDMC)
• Collaboration with other agencies

• Drought Information Clearinghouse
• Electronic textbook/portfolio
• User hits (4 million hits in 2001)
• User hits expected to reach 10 million in 2002
• 10 of sessions from international users

• Research
• Drought indices and drought risk assessment tools
• Use of climate information in decision making
• Drought planning methodologies
• Risk/Vulnerability assessment

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Principal Activities of the NDMC

• Drought Planning Activities
• Facilitate drought plan development
• Inform officials on drought planning and risk
  assessment
• methodologies
• Provide technical assistance on drought
  monitoring, indices,
• triggers, mitigation actions
• Review and evaluate drought plans

• Advise Policy Makers
• Federal and state agencies
• Regional and national initiatives
• White House Office of Science and Technology
  Policy
• U.S. Congress
• International organizations
• Foreign governments

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Principal Activities of the NDMC

• Workshops and Seminars
• Regional drought contingency planning workshops
• National/regional conferences
• International training seminars
• International conferences

• International Drought Mitigation Activities
• Country drought planning projects
• Country and regional projects
• International initiatives
• Regional networks on drought preparedness
• Drought Network News

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Faculty and Staff

• Mike Hayes, Assnt. Prof. and Climate Impact
  Specialist
• Mark Svoboda, Climatologist
• Tsegaye Tadesse, Research Associate
• Deborah Wood, Publications Specialist
• Kim Klemsz, Web Programming Assnt.
• Ann Fiedler, Secretary
• Hong Wu, Research Associate

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Funding

• USDA/CSREES Special Grant
• Annual base operating support (1995)
• NOAA International Affairs Office
• Drought Network News
• Regional Drought Preparedness Networks
• NOAA Office of Global Programs
• USDA Risk Management Agency
• National Science Foundation
• USAID
• DOI/Bureau of Reclamation

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(No Transcript)
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http//drought.unl.edu
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Products

• U.S. Drought Monitor (5 million hits)
• Map and web site
• NDMC web site (10 million hits)
• Workshops, conferences, seminars
• 16 organized since 1998
• Publications (since 2000 and in press)
• 15 journal articles
• 2 books edited
• 22 book chapters
• Scientific/professional meetings
• Media contacts
• More than 600 in 2002