Research Agenda
The CISA program was established in 2003, a turning point in water resources management in the Carolinas. Following years of extraordinary drought, federal and state agencies, NGOs, the private sector, and others convened to develop recommendations for the 30-50 year Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licenses of 20 dams on interstate river basins covering about a third of the Carolinas. CISA participation in technical working groups identified a fundamental climate information need for improved drought monitoring. This led to the development of the Dynamic Drought Index Tool (DDIT). More broadly, it fostered collaborative research with an expanded group of decision makers dealing with increasing pressures on freshwater resources in a region once complacent about water availability.
Today, our interdisciplinary, multi-state team works with NOAA and other partners and decision makers across the Carolinas. We integrate social and natural sciences to characterize risks, vulnerabilities, and potential impacts of climate variability and change. From the insights we gain, we develop decision-relevant tools and analyses that meet our stakeholders' specific social and economic needs and help build regional capacity to address climate concerns.
CISA research activities focus on three topical areas -- drought monitoring and assessment, watershed modeling, and coastal climatology. Our work also includes cross-cutting activities related to adaptation and adaptive capacity. In 2010-2011 we will conduct studies to support the U.S. National Climate Assessment. The links below provide project overviews and links to specific projects.