Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce

Federal agencies are coming together to develop and share a collection of actionable science-based climate information products in national GIS portals.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), worked in conjunction with the U.S. Department of the Interior to develop the Climate Mapping for Resilience Adaptation (CMRA) portal for communities to understand real-time climate data and take action.  This whole-of-government approach to sharing data and information is a model for all agencies to tackle the challenges our nation faces today and tomorrow.

Presentation highlights:

• Tackling the climate crisis involves a multi-agency approach.  Over the last year, NOAA and DOI were tasked to develop and deliver tools that help build a Climate-Ready Nation.  Working with Esri and key Federal agencies, the team build the Climate Mapping for Resilience Adaptation portal.
• Climate-related hazards are impacting the nation now.   CMRA is a centralized portal that pulls information from dozens of Federal websites that helps users make sense of climate-related data and develop plans that protect people, property, and infrastructure from five climate-hazard areas: Wildfire, Drought, Inland and Coastal Flooding, and Extreme Heat.
• CMRA is important for addressing the Administration’s Justice-40 equity and inclusion priorities.  And NOAA is committed to protecting our most vulnerable communities from the impacts of climate change, working with partners at all levels.  
• There are billions of dollars now available from the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to support climate resilience projects across the country. CMRA pulls information from dozens of Federal websites on funding opportunities specific to each hazard type.
• The State of Maine uses reports generated by the Assessment Tool to make applying for Federal funding opportunities easier and more efficient.  
• Leveraging existing content in the Living Atlas, collaborating with agencies on building and editing maps, and integrating layers into an intuitive user experience allowed the team to stand up the portal in about one month. 
• NOAA has proven this cross-Government approach is effective.  They are using the same repeatable pattern for other federal initiatives that support Conservation and Coastal Economies.