News

May 16, 2024

Collaborative project builds on the GCDI to integrate and map social risk with drought vulnerability

To increase resilience to drought and related issues, the second phase of a collaborative project between the National Drought Mitigation Center and the Numerical Weather Modeling Program within the Air Force Weather (AFW) is honing in on the relationship between drought and social risk. “Building a Global Composite Drought Indicator (GCDI) Hot Spot Early Warning and Information System” is led by NDMC director Mark Svoboda and started in March 2022. For Phase II of this project, the Air Force is providing funding over a 2-year period, ending May 2025.

April 24, 2024

Brief mentions April 2024

NDMC teammates participate in local climate resilience symposium. National Climate Assessment authors from UNL share takeaways in the Daugherty Water for Food podcast. A new paper investigates land use and land cover changes in Bangladesh. A webinar on precipitation changes in the Northeastern U.S. is now available.

April 24, 2024

State Impacts tool now offers enhanced user experience

Recent updates to the State Impacts tool aim to enhance both its user experience and functionality.

March 7, 2024

Varisco joins NDMC as social scientist

Kelsey Varisco is the newest member of the National Drought Mitigation Center team. As a social scientist, she will be engaging with local communities and collaborating with climate experts on drought resilience projects.

January 26, 2024

Brief mentions January 2024

A new paper seeks to provide more detailed descriptions and analysis of flash drought definitions and impacts. A new article provides insight into how climate change can impact the performance of cereal rye cover crop. A new study summarizes the results of user engagement and published literature to help users understand which drought-monitoring tools to use for local conditions. A newly published paper seeks to identify areas of the Great Plains where drought has the strongest relationship to oceanic teleconnections.

January 25, 2024

NDMC partners with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification on drought impacts policy brief

To highlight global drought impacts and the need for related programs, the National Drought Mitigation Center authored a policy brief on drought impacts for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. “The Cascading and Compounding Impacts of Drought” was released at the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference, COP 28, in Dubai in December 2023.

December 6, 2023

Bathke selected to serve as interim state climatologist

Deborah Bathke, NDMC climatologist and education coordinator, has been named interim state climatologist in the Nebraska State Climate Office by Larkin Powell, director of the University of Nebraska–Lincon’s School of Natural Resources.

November 20, 2023

NU researchers, alumni contribute to national climate assessment

University of Nebraska researchers and alumni contributed expertise to the Fifth National Climate Assessment. Released by the Biden administration on Nov. 14, the report includes more than 500 authors and 250 contributors.

October 30, 2023

ForDRI monitors and predicts drought in U.S. forests

Tracking drought in forests can be a challenge due to the diverse array of plant life they contain. A new tool developed by the National Drought Mitigation Center, the Forest Drought Response Index (ForDRI), provides a way to monitor forest drought in the continental U.S.