The Northern Great Plains Regional Incubator for Drought Resiliency
The Northern Great Plains—including Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska—face increasing threats from disasters like droughts, wildfires, and floods. These events harm agriculture, recreation, and other critical economic sectors that are vital to the region’s economy and communities.
The Northern Great Plains Regional Incubator for Drought Resiliency, funded by the National Science Foundation, aims to improve the region’s ability to respond to these hazardous events using advanced tools leveraging satellite data, in situ mesonet data, and knowledge-guided machine learning. These tools will underpin a next-generation regional drought assessment and early warning framework for the region, which will shift drought assessment from outdated, stationary methods towards non-stationary water-balance-based approaches.
Additionally, this work will focus on growing partnerships with tribal colleges and rural agricultural communities to expand education and workforce development, ensuring these communities are included in drought planning, assessment, and response. By developing these innovations alongside regional risk-buffering businesses, the project will streamline disaster aid delivery, foster sustainable agriculture, and unlock new commercial opportunities. The Northern Great Plains Regional Incubator for Drought Resiliency will unite government agencies, tribal nations, producers, researchers, and key industries—such as energy—to build a collaborative framework to protect the livelihoods, heritage, and environment of the region and serve as a proof-of-concept for drought monitoring, assessment and resilience that can be scaled nationally.
For more information, please contact Britt Parker.
Research Snapshot
Kelsey Jensco, Montana Climate Office, University of Montana
Kyle Bocinsky, Zachary Hoylman, Montana Climate Office, University of Montana; Scott Whittenburg, Office of Research and Creative Scholarship, University of Montana; and Britt Parker, NOAA National Integrated Drought Information System
What to expect from this research
- Solution 1: Regional Drought Assessment Framework: A shared, multi-state drought assessment plan built on agreed indicators, governance structures, and inclusive stakeholder processes.
- Solution 2: Next-Generation Water Balance Monitoring: Shifting from proxy indices to direct water-balance indicators using knowledge-guided machine learning and dense mesonet observations.
- Solution 3: Co-produced Drought Data Services: Open, authoritative dashboards built with the communities and agencies they serve—transparent, reproducible, and designed for multiple audiences.
- Solution 4: Risk, Adaptation, and Non-Stationarity: Aligning drought science with insurance and USDA program frameworks to improve risk assessment and incentives for adaptation.
- Solution 5: Tribal and Rural Workforce Development: Tribal data sovereignty, tribal-facing dashboards, and sustained workforce development pathways in drought monitoring and assessment.
