Technologies Using NASA Data to Foster Climate Resilience

This focus area seeks technologies that use NASA Earth Science data to foster resilience to the impacts of climate change. Of particular interest are innovations in two areas: 

1. Organizations and communities are considering adaptation approaches to increase their resilience to the shocks and stressors resulting from the impacts of a changing climate. The ability to thoroughly understand vulnerability and exposure – and how planning decisions will impact risks – will mean the difference between coping and thriving. NASA seeks technologies to integrate diverse datasets (which might include information about local environmental conditions, infrastructure, and socioeconomics) that provide insight into vulnerability, exposure, and risk with scenario planning tools to help organizations and communities understand the potential impacts of their planning decisions. NASA is particularly interested in immersive, 3-D visualizations and technologies and modeling tools (such as digital twins) that allow users to explore predicted impacts. The intent is for technologies to help organizations and communities make climate-smart land-use and infrastructure plans and address concerns of historically marginalized communities. 
2. Wildfires pose increasing risks globally and especially in the American West. NASA’s fleet of Earth-observing systems plays unique roles in all stages of wildfires, from pre-fire to active fire to post-fire. Understanding fuel loads and fire risks at all stages are critically important, and measurements of parameters like soil moisture can help inform these analyses. NASA seeks technologies to apply the suite of available Earth observation data to advance the characterization of fuel loads and fire risks at all stages, with particular emphasis on pre-fire stages to support planning and strategic resource allocation decisions.