Program Components
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is increasingly challenged to meet
the needs of the nation's decision makers (on a national, regional, state and local level) for
climate products and services. In the past, existing products and services have been underutilized
and numerous opportunities for provision of new services missed. NOAA's Climate Program Office's
Regional Decision Support (RDS) program focuses on research that creates practical, user-friendly
climate products and services. These products and services enable NOAA to contribute to the
mitigation of adverse impacts and maximize economic and social benefits from variations in
climate.
An increase in the demand for traditional services (like routine seasonal forecasts and data
products) has been accompanied by new requirements for expanded drought information. NOAA is
addressing this, in part, through the proposal for a National Integrated Drought Information
System (NIDIS) and the Administration's Subcommittee on Disaster Relief's Drought Grand
Challenge. There is also an increased emphasis on forecasts, at the local level, of risks
of high impact weather events associated with El Niño and La Niña, as well as sea level
inundation. Through RDS and other programs in the Climate Program Office, NOAA is funding
research that addresses these issues including new obligations for decision support deliverables
from the Climate Change Science Program.
The Regional Decision Support program has three capabilities.
Research on decision maker needs:
Regionally and sector tailored climate research is principally conducted through focused
competitive grants programs and at the university-based Regional Integrated Sciences and
Assessments (RISAs).
Transition of the results of research:
The NOAA Climate Transition Program (NCTP) is responsible for the transition of climate
services and products research into operations.
Operational production and delivery of services:
One of NOAA's major priorities is the production and delivery of regional, state and local
climate services with sustained customer interaction for product suite interpretation,
application, and improvement. This is achieved principally through coordination of the
activities of
Regional Climate Centers (RCCs),
State Climatologists (AASC)
and National Weather Service (NWS) field offices respectively.
Program Activities
Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL)
Climate Program Office (CPO)
National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)
National Weather Service Head Quarters
National Weather Service Regional Head Quarters
Regional Climate Centers
Regional Forecast Center
State Climatologists
Weather Forecast Office (WFO)
