Hayes & Wilhite Say “Yes” to New Challenges

A smooth leadership transition is underway at the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC). Dr. Michael J. Hayes, Associate Director, will become the Director as of August 1, and Dr. Donald A. Wilhite, the founder and current Director of the NDMC, will become Director of the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

“I am convinced the NDMC will be in good hands under Mike’s leadership,” Wilhite said. A gradual transition is underway so that NDMC leadership can be handed off with a minimum of disruption. Although its mission is national and international in scope, the NDMC is based within the School of Natural Resources.

Hayes, a climatologist, has been with the NDMC since it was established in 1995. He began as Climate Impacts Specialist and was promoted to Associate Director in 2006. Wilhite, a Professor of Climatology, has been with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln since 1977, and established the International Drought Information Center before the NDMC.

Announcing Hayes’ new position, Mark Kuzila, current Director of the School of Natural Resources, said, “Mike has been an extremely productive member of the NDMC faculty.  He has published widely and has been very successful in securing grant funds from several federal agencies for NDMC research and outreach programs. Mike is well respected by scientists nationwide and has been an excellent communicator of climate and drought science issues to the media, public, and the policy community.”

Hayes said that the NDMC will continue to focus on the main elements of drought planning – monitoring, reducing vulnerability to impacts, and planning. “I think for the future, we want to continue down the path of providing better and more relevant information at better spatial resolutions,” Hayes said. “We want to identify lessons learned and successful strategies that can be transferred to other locations. We want to continue to build networks for improving drought impact collection. And we want to maintain our scientific stature while expanding our outreach.”

Hayes noted that the NDMC has been directly and indirectly involved with drought planning efforts at the state, tribal and local levels over the past 12 years, and the overall level of preparedness appears to have improved. “Back in 1995, 29 states had drought response plans,” Hayes said. “Now, 39 states have at least a drought response plan, with eight states having drought mitigation plans and two more moving in the mitigation direction. This emphasizes the gradual growth in awareness of the need for drought planning.” The NDMC stresses mitigation – actions taken before a drought to reduce vulnerability – rather than response, which tends to be disproportionately expensive where financial relief is involved. A response plan is a good beginning.

In addition to working with governments on drought planning, the NDMC was a founding partner in the U.S. Drought Monitor in 1999, continues to supply two of the rotating authors for the weekly maps that appear in newspapers and on web sites across the country, and hosts the official Drought Monitor web site. The NDMC has also worked with 70 countries on using the Standardized Precipitation Index in drought monitoring.

Recent partnership with the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency has enabled other research efforts to expand as well. Current initiatives include the satellite-based Vegetation Drought Response Index (VegDRI) and the related Vegetation Outlook (VegOut), the Drought Impact Reporter, Risk Reduction for Ranchers, developing a methodology for quantifying economic impacts of drought, and developing the Drought Atlas and Decision Support System. Other research sponsors include the National Aeronautic and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other agencies within the USDA. Other projects are focused on monitoring groundwater, anticipating the effects of low levels of water in rivers and streams, hydrologic modeling, and incorporating various kinds of data into drought monitoring and impacts reporting.

The organization began with a staff of six and has now expanded to 18, plus graduate students. In addition to producing scientific research, the NDMC has been heavily involved in workshops, seminars and conferences related to drought; in K-12 education and outreach; and in responding to inquiries from media and the general public.

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