Earth Data for Monitoring and Forecasting Water Availability in Food Insecure Regions
Kim Slinski
University of Maryland
Thursday, Nov 07, 2019, 11:00 am
DSRC Room 1D403
Abstract
NASA Earth Observations provide important information for monitoring environmental conditions that are predictors of food and water security. This talk describes the framework we use to respond to questions regarding water availability from USAID’s Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) using the FEWS NET land data assimilation system (FLDAS) and the NASA Hydrological and Forecast Analysis System (NHyFAS). FLDAS is custom instance of the NASA Land Information System (LIS). It ingests FEWS NET’s preferred meteorological inputs to maintain an up-to-date data archive of hydrologic states and fluxes over different domains (Global and Central Asia). FLDAS also has the capability for near-real time realizations, using low latency meteorological inputs, to support FEWS NET alerts. Seasonal forecasts of hydrologic states and fluxes are generated by the NHyFAS system forced by North American Multi-Model Ensemble forecasts. Derived indices relating to snow, soil moisture, and runoff are produced from these hydrologic states and fluxes to provide a “quick look” at conditions for that are relevant for food and water security for FEWS NET decision support.
(Photo: Kanda water point in Choboki, Samagan Province, Afghanistan. Credit: K. Slinski)
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Seminar Contact: Tom.Statz@noaa.gov