11 December 2014: The US Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) organized a side event at the Lima Climate Change Conference to highlight ‘US Commitments on International Resilience.’ At the event, US officials also invited non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector and developing country partners to join in a consortium on climate information for global resilience.

In a video message, John Holdren, OSTP, introduced the White House’s commitments, saying it would greatly expand the international training desk programme for developing country meteorologists. He said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would develop and release extreme weather risk outlooks on a 15-30 day timeframe globally. He also informed participants that the US had committed to declassifying and releasing high resolution global elevation data.

Thomas Vilsack, US Secretary of Agriculture, via video, announced a new network to assist farmers with analyzing risk in order to adapt and prepare for climate change and extreme weather events. He said this action would put the food supply chain on strong footing in years to come.

Kit Batten, USAID, outlined a 35-point plan to integrate adaptation into USAID’s programmes and announced US$150 million for the establishment of a Global Resilience Partnership, focused on building systemic approaches to address climate and population change. She highlighted the partnership’s objectives, including: identifying critical capacity gaps; catalyzing alliances across all sectors; enabling regional and global learning; advancing data-driven analytics and measurements; and designing flexible financial mechanisms.

Kelly Sims Gallagher, OSTP, highlighted the release of an online decision-making tool using Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data. The tool aims to improve understanding of past and present change, develop relevant forecasts and identify the land, resources and communities most vulnerable to change, particularly flooding. Amanda McCarty, NOAA, described NOAA’s international information desks, which facilitate the distribution of expert assessments on weather data, including on wind, waves and monsoons.

On key needs for developing countries, Alfred Grϋnwaldt, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), emphasized: extending data provision to increase capacity building; ensuring information is distributed to decision makers; and incorporating climate information from all relevant users and services. He stressed the importance of developing risk outlooks to enable advance preparation.

During the ensuing discussion, participants discussed: the potential of translating technical tools into languages other than English; mainstreaming adaptation and mitigation actions into development banks’ portfolios; and providing historic information on weather events. [IISD RS ENBOTS Coverage] [IISD RS Coverage of Lima Climate Change Conference] [OSTP Webpage] [USAID Climate Change Webpage]