| Water resource managers were expected to be eager and early adopters of climate forecast information, yet few appear to currently do so. Seasonal forecasts are now skillful at lead-times up to one year in some parts of the world. Previous studies in other regions of the country have found the reluctance to use forecasts by water managers to include: mismatches of both the temporal and spatial scales of forecasts to the management needs of decision makers; limited awareness of and access to forecast information; misinterpretation of forecast results; perceptions of poor reliability; and institutional and regulatory constraints.
Due to the strong signal of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the region, water resource managers in the Southeastern USA can benefit from using climate forecasts.
The overall goal of this project is to provide an assessment of the current uses of, needs for,
perceptions of, and attitudes towards weather and climate information, forecasts, and derived
products by water resource managers in the states of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, as well as to identify gaps in diagnostic and forecast information currently available.
Water resource management systems in these three states vary in terms of size, complexity, institutional and regulatory constraints, infrastructure, and water source. This region- and sector-specific assessment of users and potential users of forecast information will enable us to provide custom-tailored information, tools, and decision support in the future. |
