The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Pacific Northwest (PNW) Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) Strategic Plan outlines priority tasks and activities to build drought early warning capacity and resilience. In October 2019, partners from across the PNW met in Portland, Oregon to discuss progress made since the 2017-2018 strategic plan and next steps. Discussions acknowledged the progress made to better communicate and collaborate in preparing for and responding to drought, and led participants to ask how the DEWS might further facilitate both information delivery and action to reduce drought impacts. The 2020 drought in the region resulted in greater coordination and collaboration between the states and exposed some additional needs, which NIDIS added to the plan.
NIDIS identified the following four priorities:
Improve early warning by building an understanding of the drought indicators/indices used in the PNW to better demonstrate their value, limitations, and sector-specific, seasonal, and geographical applications.
Increase understanding of drought impacts across sectors by building a robust drought impact reporting and analysis system to include citizen science monitoring programs.
Improve communication across the partners in the PNW DEWS network as a key channel for disseminating drought information to the public and other regional DEWS.
Increase the ability to share drought-related lessons learned both within and across DEWS, sectors, and tribal, state, and local agencies pertaining to drought preparedness and response.
The plan contains activities that the PNW DEWS network will initially focus on, organized by components of a drought early warning system. The network will use annual meetings to reassess priorities and direct action within the DEWS during the life of the plan.
View the strategic plan »
MISSION: The Climate and Fisheries Adaptation Program (CAFA) supports targeted research to promote sustainable management, adaptation and resilience of the nation’s valuable fish stocks and fisheries-dependent communities in a changing climate. By bringing together NOAA scientists with the academic community, other federal agency scientists, non-governmental organizations and key fisheries stakeholders, CAFA addresses priority needs for information and tools identified in the 2015 NOAA Fisheries Climate Science Strategy, Fisheries Regional Action Plans, U.S. National Climate Assessment, and other sources.
ISSUE: Healthy and productive fisheries are a significant component of the U.S. economy. Commercial and recreational marine fisheries generate over $200 billion in economic activity and support more than 1.8 million jobs annually. (FEUS 2016) Reliant and sustainable fisheries also support working waterfronts and coastal communities, provide opportunities for commerce, are tied to rich cultures, and help meet the growing demand for seafood across the U.S. and the world.
Climate variability and change are having increasing impacts on fish stocks, fisheries, and marine ecosystems in the U.S., and the impacts are expected to significantly increase with continued climate change. The changing climate and ocean conditions (e.g. warming oceans, extreme events, changing currents and stratification, coastal precipitation, coastal inundation, etc.) directly and indirectly affect marine ecosystems including the abundance, distribution, and productivity of fish stocks that support economically important fisheries. Sustainable fisheries management requires an improved understanding of how climate, fishing, and other stressors interact to affect fish stocks (including their habitats and prey), fisheries and fishing‐dependent communities.
PROGRAM HISTORY: The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Climate Program Office, and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Science and Technology launched a partnership in 2014 to advance understanding of climate‐related impacts on fish or other species that support economically important fisheries and fishing communities. The partnership originated through the former Coastal and Ocean Climate Applications (COCA) Program and in 2021 was renamed the Climate and Fisheries Adaptation (CAFA) Program as part of the OAR/CPO Adaptation Sciences Program.
Jennifer Dopkowski NOAA Research
Climate Program Office P: (301) 734-1261 E: jennifer.dopkowski@noaa.gov
Roger Griffis NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology P: (301) 427-8134 E: roger.b.griffis@noaa.gov
Americans’ health, security and economic wellbeing are tied to climate and weather. Every day, we see communities grappling with environmental challenges due to unusual or extreme events related to climate and weather.