Drought Activities, including the North America Drought Monitor (NADM)

The Drought NACSP Focus Area will provide map and narrative products that assess drought conditions on a continental scale which assist water resource managers, agricultural interests, and other user communities in the United States, Mexico, and Canada to respond to current and future drought events. Objectives of this activity are:

• Scoping Activity:  Develop a discussion paper that identifies the role of the NADM and how it links to other global drought information initiatives, programs, policy and science in North America.  The analysis will be done by country (i.e., each country to contribute its own section to the paper).
• North American VegDRI:  Expand the Vegetation Drought Reponse Index (VegDRI) drought product (which currently covers just the contiguous U.S.) to Canada and Mexico so that it covers the full North American continent.
• North American Blended Drought Indices:  Develop short- and long-term objective blended drought indices for the entire North American continent (utilizing data from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.) patterned after the methodology for the U.S. objective blends.
• Drought Definitions and Indices Study:  Link to the GEO North American Drought Indices and Definition study, which is developing a user toolkit consisting of a North American relevant definition for drought and identification of suitable indices.  This would be a first step in development of a globally relevant definition and identification of indices.

Relevant Links:
North American Drought Monitor

NIDIS North American Drought Monitor

U.S. NIDIS Drought Portal

U.S. Drought Monitor

North American Water Watch