Climate and Societal Interactions Division
A CSI-funded researcher interviews a rancher in Hawai’i to better understand the impacts of drought on her ranch operations. Credit: V. Keener
The Climate and Societal Interactions (CSI) Division’s mission is to improve resilience and preparedness in diverse socio-economic regions and sectors throughout the US and abroad through the use of climate knowledge and information. Our research advances the nation’s understanding of climate-related risks and vulnerabilities across sectors and regions, and the development of tools to foster more informed decision making. These efforts support NOAA's vision to create and sustain enhanced resilience in ecosystems, communities, and economies.
Science for Adaptation
CSI-supported research seeks to generate the knowledge, tools, and institutional networks that enhance society’s capacity to anticipate, plan for, and adapt to climate impacts. By supporting partnerships between scientists and stakeholders, CSI enhances the capacity of decision makers to effectively co-produce and utilize climate information in risk management, adaptation, and sustainable development. Our focus complements the work of the physical science research and development portfolio across NOAA by using insights from social science research to interpret, synthesize, and apply climate data, analysis, and observations.
Building Capacity and Partnerships
The establishment of partnerships with other agencies and organizations to jointly support these goals is an important element of our work. CSI staff play a critical role in brokering both knowledge and partnerships to support the mission and objectives of the Division, contributing to efforts such as the US Global Change Research Program, the National Climate Assessment, the President’s Climate Action Plan, and numerous other interagency and scientific efforts focused on resilience and adaptation. Finally, CSI plays a pivotal role in supporting research and development activities for the Coping with Drought initiative of the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS).
CSI comprises the following programs:
CAP/RISA supports regional research teams across the U.S. that conduct innovative, interdisciplinary, stakeholder-driven, and regionally relevant research that informs resource management, planning, and public policy.
Contacts: Chelsea Combest-Friedman, Caitlin Simpson
(oar.cpo.risa@noaa.gov)
NOAA’s Adaptation Sciences (AdSci) research program (established in FY 2021) is designed to advance the knowledge, methods and frameworks needed to move society beyond incremental adaptation toward more widespread, connected, adaptive pathways, and resilience strategies with clear economic and societal co-benefits. Research focuses on the integration of acute and chronic stressors that occur over multiple timescales, which can lead to cascading impacts that threaten to overwhelm and undermine systems important to daily life and social and economic well-being.
Contacts: Lisa Farrow-Vaughan, Jennifer Dopkowsi, and Bhaskar Subramanian (oar.cpo.adaptation@noaa.gov)