MAPP/NIDIS Drought Task Force V
NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and the NOAA Climate Program Office’s Modeling, Analysis, Predictions, and Projections (MAPP) Program organized the Drought Task Force V (DTF V) to coordinate the research activities supported through the MAPP/NIDIS Fiscal Year 2023 drought research competition, "Science for the 21st Century Western U.S. Hydroclimate.”
Since 2011, NOAA’s Drought Task Force has catalyzed community research aimed at improving national and regional drought capabilities. The Drought Task Force focused on supporting NIDIS and its Drought Early Warning Systems via advances in the understanding, monitoring, and prediction of drought. Drought Task Force V activities will focus on the critical state of the western hydroclimate and advancing our understanding and capabilities to address the challenges posed by variability and change in that hydroclimate. This initiative builds on four previous MAPP Drought Task Force efforts and decades of preceding research on drought, hydroclimate, and related modeling.
The core membership of the Task Force is composed of MAPP/NIDIS-funded investigators from universities, NOAA, and other federal centers and laboratories. Membership in the Task Force can also include invited scientists and other individuals from across the community with interest and expertise in Drought Task Force research areas.
The Drought Task Force V Leads are:
- Seth Shanahan (Co-Lead), Southern Nevada Water Authority
- Rajagopalan Balaji (Co-Lead), University of Colorado, Boulder
- Karen McKinnon (Co-Lead), University of California Los Angeles
For more information, please contact Joel Lisonbee (joel.lisonbee@noaa.gov).
Research Snapshot
Seth Shanahan, Southern Nevada Water Authority ; Rajagopalan Balaji, University of Colorado, Boulder; and Karen McKinnon, University of California Los Angeles
What to expect from this research
Drought is a common feature of the Western U.S., driven by the region’s unique geography, location, and climate. And it can exact a high toll. In 2022, a single drought event in the American West cost $23.3 billion. This foundational and applied science research aims to improve drought monitoring and prediction in the American West.
