Climate and Societal Interactions Division (CSI)
The Climate and Societal Interactions (CSI) Division’s mission is to improve resilience and preparedness in a variety of socio-economic regions and sectors throughout the US and abroad through the use of weather and climate knowledge and information. Our research advances the nation’s understanding of weather and climate-related risks and vulnerabilities, and the development of tools to foster more informed decision making. These efforts support NOAA’s vision to create and sustain enhanced resilience in ecosystems, communities, and economies.
Science For Adaptation
CSI-supported research seeks to generate the knowledge, tools, and institutional networks that enhance society’s capacity to anticipate, plan for, and adapt to weather and climate impacts. By supporting partnerships between scientists and stakeholders, CSI enhances the capacity of decision makers to effectively co-produce and utilize weather and climate information in risk management, adaptation, and planning.
Our focus complements the work of the physical science research and development portfolio across NOAA by using insights from social science research to interpret, synthesize, and apply weather and climate data, analysis, and observations in order to improve outcomes for stakeholders.
News
Building Capacity and Partnerships
The establishment of partnerships with other agencies and organizations to jointly support these goals is an important element of our work. CSI staff play a critical role in brokering both knowledge and partnerships to support the mission and objectives of the Division, including numerous inter-agency and scientific efforts focused on readiness and adaptation.
CSI comprises the following programs
The Adaptation Sciences (AdSci) Program
The AdSci research program identifies and meets the evolving information needs of decision makers to improve risk management related to weather and climate readiness strategies. AdSci invests in the integration of acute and chronic weather and climate stressors, that occur over multiple timescales, into decision making tools and processes. Unaddressed, these stressors can overwhelm and undermine critical systems, like fisheries, water and sewage treatment, as well as storm and flood protections. AdSci invests in making sure that stakeholders have access to the best information and that they can use it to be prepared for stressors like coastal flooding, changing ocean temperatures, and heat waves.
Climate Adaptation Partnerships (CAP), formerly known as Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA)
CAP teams work in regions across the United States to address local needs for information about complex hazards by providing relevant scientific expertise and resources. These teams partner with multiple private and public sector organizations across their regions including local government agencies such as emergency management departments, utilities, ports, small and medium-sized businesses, rural town and city planners, regional councils of government, among others.
Email: oar.cpo.risa@noaa.gov