The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has partnered with the Department of the Interior (DOI) to launch a new website that helps communities understand the real-time climate-related hazards in their area, analyze the projected long-term exposure to those hazards, and identify any federal funds available to support climate resilience projects for that community.
The Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) portal is an easily accessible and interactive geospatial website that will help federal, state, local and tribal governments, as well as non-profit organizations, learn about climate hazards impacting their communities.
Ali Zaidi, US deputy national climate advisor, said, “From day one, President Biden made a clear commitment to protect our most vulnerable communities from the impacts of climate change. This website is designed as a one-stop shop to equip those on the ground with the tools they need to plan and prepare, and to access federal resources to build greater resilience.”
CMRA integrates decision-relevant information from across the US government, including climate maps and data; non-climate data such as building code standards, economic justice, and social vulnerability information; and federal grant funding opportunities.
The website’s new CMRA Assessment Tool offers information on past, present, and projected future climate conditions to support planners and managers in assessing their exposure to climate-related hazards, including drought, extreme heat, coastal and inland flooding, and wildfire. The site helps users create their own custom climate exposure assessment for specific locations and customize statistics and visual representations of the hazards in their area.
The portal also serves as a key tool to aid in the planning and implementation of federal investments, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act. CMRA supports users in evaluating future climate threats to federally funded projects. It also provides information on various federal grant programs that can fund climate resilience efforts.
US secretary of commerce Gina Raimondo, said, “The climate crisis is hurting our communities and our economy. Addressing climate change and building climate resilience are among the Commerce Department’s top priorities. By combining critical climate data and climate-hazard information with the resources to help fund resilience and adaptation projects, CMRA will be an invaluable tool for local communities across America.”
Dr Rick Spinrad, NOAA administrator, said, “Building climate resilience starts with communities, leaders and other decision makers understanding their specific climate threats. CMRA provides the public with the same NOAA-powered data that the federal government relies on every day to make sound decisions about climate preparedness. We’re honored to host and manage CMRA and believe it can become the first line of defense in protecting people, property, and infrastructure.”
CMRA was developed by geographic information system software company Esri, through a contract with NOAA. To view the CMRA website, click here.
