NIDIS Workshop on Satellite Remote Sensing for Drought Monitoring
February 7, 2008
The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) is sponsoring
its first Knowledge Assessment Workshop: "Contributions of Satellite Remote
Sensing to Drought Monitoring," February 6-7, 2008, in Boulder, CO. The
purpose of the workshop is to develop a ready reference on available remote
sensing data streams and products for the drought monitoring community of
the United States. The workshop is geared towards actual and potential user
groups, and will target three broad application areas: 1) Vegetation
including Crops, Rangeland, and Forests; 2) Precipitation and Snow Cover;
and 3) Soil Moisture and Evapotranspiration. Additional sponsors include
the Western Water Assessment (WWA), USGS Center for Earth Resources
Observation and Science, and the National Drought Mitigation Center.
NIDIS was established under the National Drought Policy Act of 1998 to ensure collaboration between different government agencies on drought-related issues. Implementation of NIDIS began in FY 2008 and its focus includes developing the U.S. Drought Portal; integrating and fostering coping strategies through research, preparedness, education and public awareness; integrating data and predictions; and developing pilot programs for design and implementation of early warning systems in selected locations. This workshop will also help identify activities for design of the first pilot program in the upper Colorado River Basin.
NIDIS is hosted at the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratories, Physical Sciences Division where researchers are instrumental in providing climate information to support implementation of NIDIS.
NOAA research and operations are providing critical scientific information and resources on drought and climate change to inform decision-makers and reduce environmental and economic impacts.
| Contact: Roger Pulwarty | More Information: |