CIRES is an internationally recognized leader in innovative environmental science and research and is located at the University of Colorado Boulder. At CIRES, more than 900 environmental science professionals work to understand the dynamic Earth system, including people’s relationship with the planet. CIRES has partnered with NOAA since 1967, and our areas of expertise include weather and climate, changes at Earth’s poles, air quality and atmospheric chemistry, water resources, solid Earth sciences, and more. Our vision is to be instrumental in ensuring a sustainable future environment by advancing scientific and societal understanding of the Earth system.
National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) was first authorized by Congress in 2006 (Public Law 109–430) and reauthorized in 2014 and 2019 to coordinate drought monitoring, forecasting, planning, and information at federal, tribal, state, and local levels across the country. NIDIS does this work through:
- Developing partnerships to ensure successful implementation of an integrated national drought monitoring and forecasting system at federal, state, and local levels.
- Collecting and integrating information on the key indicators of drought to make usable, reliable, and timely drought forecasts and assessments.
- Fostering and supporting a research environment that focuses on risk assessment, forecasting, and management.
- Providing accurate, timely, and integrated information on drought conditions and associated risks to facilitate proactive decision making.
