NOAA Grants Arizona, New Mexico $3.5 M to Prepare for Climate Change

By Jillian Macmath, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

January 23,2013; 9:00AM,EST

NOAA has granted Arizona and New Mexico $3.5 million over the next five years to help prepare for and adapt to climate variability and change.
The grants, called Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) funds, will be used to allow departments of health and environment to conduct research, and to help drought agencies incorporate climate information into their planning and implementation.
"The southwest United States has the fastest growing population in the nation, yet cities and tribal lands in Arizona and New Mexico are severely affected by drought," Richard Rosen, acting director of NOAA's Climate Program Office said.
"These projects will help people understand and make decisions to minimize the risks associated with changing water resources and other challenges posed by a changing climate."
Additionally, NOAA awarded seven smaller grants for one- and two-year projects. The awards, which totaled $600,000, are to encourage collaboration with federal and non-federal partners on climate adaptation, NOAA said.
According to NOAA, recipients are as follows:
Mark Shafer, University of Oklahoma, Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program, water reservoir data visualization tools: $44,000
Denise Lach, Oregon State University, Climate Impacts Research Consortium, building organizational capacity to adapt to climate change on public lands in the Pacific Northwest: $118,943
Victoria Keener, East West Center - Pacific RISA, mapping the flow of climate and water information in the Pacific Islands: $87,395
Wendy Graham, University of Florida, Southeast Climate Consortium, use of seasonal climate forecasts to minimize short-term operational risks for water supply and ecosystem restoration: $73,737
Michael Crimmins, University of Arizona, CLIMAS, climate and weather services for disaster management: $82,630
Casey Brown, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northwest, water management knowledge network for the northeastern U.S.: $99,582
William Travis, University of Colorado, Western Water Assessment, building climate science into land and water conservation planning/decision making in the southwest: $99,543