•  
  • Address
  • Pacific Islands Regional
    Integrated Science and
    Assessment Climate
    Program (Pacific RISA)
  • Research Program
    East-West Center
    Room 2062
    1601 East-West Road
    Honolulu, HI 96848-1601
    USA

Program Statement


The Pacific Regional Integrated Science and Assessment (Pacific RISA) program supports Pacific island and coastal communities to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate variability and change. We strive to enhance Pacific communities' abilities to understand, plan for, and respond to changing climate conditions. Our work is conducted though interdisciplinary research and partnership with local, national, and regional stakeholders. As one of nine US RISA programs, the Pacific RISA emphasizes the engagement of communities, governments, and businesses in developing effective policies to build resilience in key sectors such as water resource management, coastal and marine resources, fisheries, agriculture, tourism, disaster management and public health.


Vision

Resilient and sustainable Pacific communities using climate information to manage risks and support practical decision-making about climate variability and change.


Mission Objectives

The Pacific RISA mission includes the following objectives:

  • Meet critical climate information needs in the Pacific Region through multidisciplinary climate research, assessment, education, and training;
  • Provide integrated, locally relevant climate information to decision makers and communities in the Pacific Region;
  • Enhance regional and local capabilities to manage climate risks, build resilience in key sectors, and support sustainable development;
  • Promote collaboration among Pacific regional, US national, and international institutions and programs providing climate information products and services.


About RISA

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) program was created in 1995 to pioneer innovative mechanisms for enhancing the value of climate information and products for understanding and responding to a variety of challenges associated with climate variability and change at the regional scale. Currently, there are eight region-specific RISA teams (see box) working in sustained partnerships with local decision-makers. 

At the core of the RISA philosophy is the observation that climate variability and change are global phenomena, but impacts primarily manifest at regional scales in issues related to changing hydrologic cycles, increasing vulnerability to natural hazards, agricultural disruptions, environmental disturbances, and sea level rise. Often, these climate challenges combine with and exacerbate other stressors, such as population growth, energy development, and transitions in local economies, culture, and social relationships. The types of products and management efforts undertaken by the RISAs vary widely, but share the common feature of emerging from real-world challenges faced by stakeholders.

The “RISA model” of climate services that has emerged relies heavily on participatory approaches featuring two-way dialogues between researchers and user groups, uses iterative and sustained relationships to build mutual understanding and trust, and is implemented through collaborative, multi-disciplinary and multi-partner teams delineated by decision-relevant contexts shaped by geography, sector, and timing. Additionally, the approach is evolutionary and opportunistic, adapting to the influx of new constituencies—many of which are actively “cultivated” by the RISA teams—new advances in science and technology, an improved understanding of decision contexts, and responsive to the opportunities associated with climate events (e.g., droughts) and emerging policy initiatives. 


Lessons from the RISA Experience
The RISA experience provides valuable “lessons learned” that have direct relevance to regional and national climate services:
- Building trust requires a sustained effort.
- Integrated and interdisciplinary climate information and research is required.
- Information must be contextual and relevant.
- Proactive engagement is required.
- A dynamic and flexible organization is required.


RISA Areas and Research


RISA

States/Areas Covered

URL

Current Areas of Research

Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (ACCAP)

Alaska and the U.S. Arctic

http://www.uaf.edu/accap/

Water resource management, transportation

California Applications Program (CAP)

California and Nevada

http://meteora.ucsd.edu/cap/

Water resource management, forest fires, snowpack, human health

Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments (CISA)

North and South Carolina

http://www.cas.sc.edu/geog/cisa/

Water resource management, forestry, coastal impacts

Climate Assessment for the Southwest  (CLIMAS)

Arizona, New Mexico

http://www.ispe.arizona.edu/climas/

Water resource management, forestry, forest fires, snowpack, human health, agriculture

Climate Impacts Group (CIG)

Washington, Oregon, Idaho

http://www.cses.washington.edu/cig/

Water resource management, forestry, snowpack, fish, coastal impacts

Pacific RISA

Hawaii, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, American Samoa

http://www.pacificrisa.org

Water resources management, coastal impacts, disaster risk management

Southeast Climate Consortium  (SECC)

Florida, Georgia, Alabama

http://secc.coaps.fsu.edu/members/coaps.htm

Agriculture, forestry, water resource management

Western Water Assessment  (WWA)

Colorado, Utah, Wyoming

http://wwa.colorado.edu

Water resource management, agriculture, snowpack

RISA Map

Shortened from source: Campbell, Hannah, Greg Carbone, Melissa Finucane, Gregg Garfin, Keith Ingram, Douglas Kenney, Nancy Lewis, Caitlin Simpson, Sarah Trainor, Bradley Udall, Robin Webb, and Lara Whitely Binder. 2008. RISA 2020 (draft).