NIDIS in Hawaiߵi and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands – Enhancing User-Driven Drought Products and Services
Drought is a natural, frequent occurrence in Hawai'i and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) with impacts on all islands. Droughts are often associated with El Niño events, which are part of a natural climate cycle in the Pacific Ocean. Drought impacts in Hawai'i and the USAPI include crop yield losses, reduced quality and quantity of drinking water supplies, water restrictions for residents, increased wildfire risk, death of cattle, damage from insect pests, low stream levels, negative impacts to threatened and endangered species, effects on cultural practices, and other socioeconomic and ecological impacts.
Scientists from the Pacific Drought Knowledge Exchange worked with NIDIS to develop drought-related tools, resources, and needs assessments for Hawai'i and the USAPI. This work, which was funded by NIDIS, will support decision-making for a wide range of users across the region.
The research team utilized a co-production approach, working directly with a wide range of users, including local managers, farmers, ranchers, and cultural practitioners, to better understand their data and information needs. This work supports the greater initiatives of the Pacific Drought Knowledge Exchange (PDKE) Project, which prioritizes:
- Easier access to drought and climate data and information
- More comprehensive information
- Improved technical assistance
- A more collaborative information transfer environment.
For more information, please contact Amanda Sheffield (amanda.sheffield@noaa.gov).
Research Snapshot
Ryan Longman, University of Hawaiߵi
Results of this research
- Custom Decision-Support Tools for High-Impact Sectors on the Hawaiߵi Climate Data Portal:
- Hawaiߵi Rangeland Information Portal (H-RIP) provides ranchers with localized drought metrics and near-term forage growth projections to make proactive management choices.
- Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) mapping provides 250-meter resolution SPI tools that allow emergency responders and water managers to detect drought early, directly mitigating risks related to agricultural losses and severe wildfires.
- Hawaiߵi Climate Portfolios and a Hawaiߵi Monthly Climate Summary provide locally relevant climate and drought information for a wide variety of users at the scale of one hundred acres to whole islands.
- Data-Driven Needs Assessments to Address Unique Island Vulnerabilities: Through NIDIS-funded drought needs assessments across Hawaiߵi and the USAPI, NIDIS and core regional partners have identified critical drought information gaps across six categories. These assessments highlight how island droughts cause compounding damage—from reducing crop yields and drinking water supplies to accelerating wildfire spread and disrupting native ecosystems. The findings also provide a roadmap for integrating local and indigenous knowledge into regional drought resilience planning.
- Journal publication: Improved climate services in Hawai‘i: the collaborative development of drought-related decision support tools
