News

August 2, 2023

Collaborative plan heightens Iowa’s response to drought

A collaborative plan published in January is helping Iowa, now in its third year of significant drought, more effectively identify and respond to drought. The interagency group included the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Midwest Climate Hub and National Drought Mitigation Center provided support.

July 17, 2023

Master’s project takes Drought Center student from Nebraska to Alaska

Alaska’s climate is changing faster than any other state in the U.S. To address the vast region’s unique climate needs and help Alaskans better prepare for drought events, University of Nebraska master’s student Grace Campbell developed a state-specific drought index. She was also part of a multi-disciplinary Drought Center team that met with Alaskan farmers, scientists and Native community leaders.

June 19, 2023

Ag In Drought combines drought, crop areas, crop progress and management resources

Ag In Drought provides current data on how drought is affecting agricultural production areas across the nation, as well as resources for managing drought. The National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln added several new features this year to U.S. Agricultural Commodities in Drought website, better known as Ag in Drought, and also made it easier to find by adding a link from the U.S. Drought Monitor site.

April 18, 2023

NDMC partnership works to enhance drought and climate resilience of Indigenous farmers in the Middle Rio Grande basin

In March, the Drought Center facilitated a workshop in New Mexico, hosted by the Santa Ana Pueblo. The workshop was the first of several outreach programs planned as part of the Climate Smart Indigenous Agriculture project through which the NDMC and its partners are working to enhance drought and climate resilience with Indigenous farmers in the Middle Rio Grande region.

April 5, 2023

We're all in this together: Stakeholders work to increase drought resilience of the ACF Basin

In March, the Drought Center facilitated a workshop in Alabama, organized by ACF Stakeholders Inc., to examine the drought challenges facing the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin and potential strategies to prepare for, and respond to, drought. Participants came from across Alabama, Georgia and Florida, providing an important opportunity to enhance relationships and work together to increase the resilience of the watershed.

March 30, 2023

Multidisciplinary team looks to increase the resilience of food systems to climate shocks like drought

Two NDMC-affiliated researchers are part of a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional team selected as part of the NSF Convergence Accelerator program focused on applied research and technology development to advance food and nutrition security. The team is working on a proof of concept of how to predict the effects of climate extremes on the food system and will compete for a chance to secure $5 million in additional funding.

February 6, 2023

Study finds states facing worse drought have more comprehensive drought planning

States opt to plan for drought to reduce vulnerability and increase the resilience of their communities, industries and ecosystems. To date, though, there’s been little research on the comprehensiveness and quality of state plans that address drought. A new study from NDMC researchers has helped fill this gap, finding that exposure to drought is in intrinsic driver of planning, regardless of a state’s financial resources.

February 1, 2023

NDMC and World Bank partner on drought monitoring tools for southern Africa

The National Drought Mitigation Center has been working with the World Bank for over 10 years to develop new drought tools that can help countries increase their resilience to drought. Most recently, that work has entailed engaging with national agencies to develop a composite drought indicator for southern Africa.

January 26, 2023

NDMC joins forces with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification to advance global drought resilience agenda

On Jan. 26, 2023, the National Drought Mitigation Center launched a new collaboration with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. As drought resilience and preparedness are taking center stage in global efforts to bolster economies and communities against natural disasters, the formalized partnership is particularly timely. Together, the NDMC and UNCCD will work to improve drought risk management tools and utilize the latest science to help reduce the high human, social and economic costs of drought and water scarcity.

January 19, 2023

CMOR helps officials respond to drought in Missouri

Missouri suffered from extreme drought conditions in 2022. The CMOR database of crowdsourced observations helped officials there monitor drought as it intensified last summer and then again in October. CMOR photos not only enable decision makers to track changing conditions and inform drought classification, they’re also essential for identifying, and responding to, drought impacts.

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