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Letter to Appropriations committees |
| National Integrated Drought Information System | ||
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On June 21, 2004, the Western Governors unanimously adopted a report entitled, Creating a Drought Early Warning System for the 21st Century: The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). The system envisioned in the report will provide water users across the board – farmers, ranchers, utilities, tribes, land managers, business owners, recreationalists, wildlife managers, and decision-makers at all levels of government – with the ability to assess their drought risk in real time and before the onset of drought, in order to make informed decisions that may mitigate a drought’s impacts. The report was developed over an 18-month period through a broad-based, collaborative process that brought together scientists with natural resources managers from across the country, representing various federal and state agencies and non-governmental organizations. Recognition of droughts in a timely manner is dependent on our ability to monitor and forecast the diverse physical indicators of drought, as well as relevant economic, social and environmental impacts. NIDIS will coordinate and integrate a variety of observations, analysis techniques and forecasting methods in a system that will support drought assessment and decision-making at the lowest geopolitical level possible. The tools will allow users to access, transform and display basic data and forecasts across a range of spatial and temporal scales most suited to their individual needs. On February 8, 2005 NOAA Administrator Lautenbacher announced the President's FY2006 Budget Request for NOAA. It includes $7.4 million to support NIDIS. |
Western Governors' Association. All rights reserved. |