Since the 1980s, average annual damages from weather and climate-related billion-dollar disasters have more than quadrupled in the United States
Since the 1980s, average annual damages from weather and climate-related billion-dollar disasters have more than quadrupled in the United States. As these events proliferate and worsen, NOAA is funding dozens of new research projects that will advance its life-saving climate and decision support science.
Today, NOAA’s Climate Program Office (CPO) announces a total of $48.7 million to support 79 innovative, impactful projects2 that will improve our Nation’s resilience.
“Every day, communities and businesses grapple with challenges due to climate variability and change,” said Wayne Higgins, Director of CPO. “From using machine learning to develop critical atmospheric datasets to creating an experimental system for rapidly assessing causes of extreme events, these new awards will expedite climate science discoveries and build the library of resilience solutions needed to protect all sectors of our economy and environment.”
Over the next one to four years, universities, other research institutions, and agency partners across every region of the contiguous United States and Hawai’i will conduct the projects in close partnership with NOAA labs and centers. Through collaborations that effectively leverage resources from the broader scientific community, the new awards will help NOAA tackle challenges in many areas of climate science. Such areas include weather and climate extremes, drought and water resources, changing atmospheric composition and its impacts, and important issues for our blue economy: coastal resilience and sustainable fisheries under a changing climate.
Continue reading at NOAA.
Image via NOAA.
