Studies & Analysis

Policy Program studies and analysis expand the knowledge base on which societal decisions rest.

Managed Retreat: An Introduction and Exploration of Policy Options
Managed Retreat: An Introduction and Exploration of Policy Options

Managed retreat is a tool for community adaptation to repeated environmental threats that involves the physical relocation of people, structures, and infrastructures away from areas exposed to repeat hazards. In this study, we introduce and explore managed retreat as an adaptive strategy to climate hazards with the goal of identifying the policy options for enacting managed retreat and exploring these policies’ strengths and limitations.

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Tags: Managed retreat, 2022
Framework for the Advancement of Inclusion, Equity, and Justice in the Weather, Water, and Climate Enterprise
Framework for the Advancement of Inclusion, Equity, and Justice in the Weather, Water, and Climate Enterprise

The weather, water, and climate (WWC) enterprise provides science and services critical to the future of society. Making these sciences and services truly inclusive and beneficial to all people is necessary to ensure that they are impactful, meaningful, and ethical. Here, we present a set of principles, actionable steps, and metrics to support and outline a shift towards a more inclusive, equitable, and just culture within and beyond the enterprise.

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Tags: DEI, IEJ, 2022
Actionable Scientific Assessments for the Energy Sector
Actionable Scientific Assessments for the Energy Sector

Understanding, accounting for, and communicating weather and climate variables is critical for the planning and optimization of the energy system. This puts increasing pressure on the scientific community to provide the right information to meet the key decision-making needs of the energy sector. This American Meteorological Society (AMS) Policy Program study is the second of two pilot projects on the provision of actionable information for decision-making through the tailored and targeted assessment of weather and climate science.

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Tags: Actionable science, Energy, 2022
What's it Worth? Four Perspectives on the Valuation of the Weather, Water, Climate Enterprise
What's it Worth? Four Perspectives on the Valuation of the Weather, Water, Climate Enterprise

Valuation is critical to decision making at all levels. The set of studies synthesized here can contribute to a common understanding how value can be enhanced and communicated within and outside of the weather, water, and climate enterprise.

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Tags: 2022, Societal benefit, Valuation
AMS Community Synthesis on Geohealth
AMS Community Synthesis on Geohealth

This American Meteorological Society Policy Program study synthesizes input from the AMS community on the various connections, gaps, and opportunities at the intersection of health, geoscience, and the Earth system.

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Tags: 2022, Geohealth
Three Policies Shape Enterprise Value: Minor Adjustments Could Enhance the Societal Benefit
Three Policies Shape Enterprise Value: Minor Adjustments Could Enhance the Societal Benefit

This American Meteorological Society Policy Study examines the role that public policy plays in determining the sum societal value of Earth Observations, Science, and Services (OSS) as well as the allocation of that value and the costs of OSS production across society.

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Tags: Societal benefit, 2022
Meeting Coastal Information Needs through Tailored Scientific Assessment
Meeting Coastal Information Needs through Tailored Scientific Assessment

Actionable weather, water, and climate information is critical to ensuring the long-term resilience of coastal communities. This study identifies key information needs for coastal resilience and assesses the state of the relevant science. 

 

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Tags: Actionable science, Gulf Coast, Gulf of Maine, Coastal resilience, 2021
Where Global Warming Meets Local Decision-Making: An Introduction to the Arctic Science Policy Landscape
Where Global Warming Meets Local Decision-Making: An Introduction to the Arctic Science Policy Landscape

This AMS Program study takes stock of the state of Arctic science, its organizations, and how it is linked to some of the most discussed policy issues in the Arctic.

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Tags: 2021, Arctic
Options for Enhancing the Value of the NOAA Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador Initiative
Options for Enhancing the Value of the NOAA Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador Initiative

This study identifies options for strengthening the Weather-Ready Nation Ambassadors™ Initiative while holding true to its original intention: building a more resilient, responsive, and prepared American public.

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Tags: 2021, Weather Ready Nation
Who Will Make Sense of All the Data? Assessing the Impacts of Technology on the Weather, Water, and Climate Workforce
Who Will Make Sense of All the Data? Assessing the Impacts of Technology on the Weather, Water, and Climate Workforce

This AMS Policy Program study explores the state of the technological landscape in WWC science and its implications for employers and employees across the public, private, and academic sectors.

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Tags: 2021, Workforce
Socioeconomic Inequality and Climate Change Hazards: A Focus on the Great Lakes Region
Socioeconomic Inequality and Climate Change Hazards: A Focus on the Great Lakes Region

This study focuses on four aspects of addressing and exploring solutions for climate change, socioeconomic inequality, and their interactions that reflect the core values, lessons, and ideas that emerged from two workshop discussions with participants from the Great Lakes Region.

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Tags: Socioeconomics, Climate change, Great Lakes, 2021
Weather-Water-Climate Value Chain(s): Giving VOICE to the Characterization of the Economic Benefits of Hydro-Met Services and Products
Weather-Water-Climate Value Chain(s): Giving VOICE to the Characterization of the Economic Benefits of Hydro-Met Services and Products

This study presents a framework for elucidating value chains and illustrates different ways the value chain concept can help us understand, communicate, and enhance the societal benefits of Earth system observation, science, and services (ESOSS).

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Tags: 2021, Societal benefit
The Intersection of Socioeconomic Status & Climate Change Risks & Hazards in the United States Great Lakes Region: An Intern Report
The Intersection of Socioeconomic Status & Climate Change Risks & Hazards in the United States Great Lakes Region: An Intern Report

The Great Lakes Region relies heavily on its natural resources for the majority of its industries, jobs, and income. This report explores the intersecting challenges presented by climate change and socioeconomic inequalities that impact residents throughout the region.

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Tags: 2021, Great Lakes, Socioeconomics, Climate change
AMS Community Synthesis on Climate Change Solutions
AMS Community Synthesis on Climate Change Solutions

This study provides a summary of input from the AMS community on climate change solutions. It was carried out in an accelerated time frame in response to a request from the National Science Foundation for rapid community input.

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Tags: 2021, Climate change, NSF
Societal Benefits in Weather, Water, and Climate: Understanding, Communication, and Enhancement
Societal Benefits in Weather, Water, and Climate: Understanding, Communication, and Enhancement

Humanity is experiencing a period of rapid global change that is driven by technological, societal, and environmental disruption. Meeting the challenges and opportunities associated with global change will depend on understanding, communicating, and enhancing the societal benefits of Earth system observations, science, and services.

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Tags: Earth System OSS, 2021, Societal benefit
New Minds for  New Science:  The  Forecast  for  Work  in  the  Weather, Water,  and  Climate  Enterprise
New Minds for New Science: The Forecast for Work in the Weather, Water, and Climate Enterprise

Work helps define our lives and the society we live in. This AMS Policy Program study examines workforce influences and needs for the weather, water and climate enterprise.

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Tags: 2020, Workforce
Making Communities Stronger and More Secure
Making Communities Stronger and More Secure

This study identifies opportunities for strengthening communities with respect to weather, water, and climate.

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Tags: 2019, Resilience
Toward an Integrated Approach to Water
Toward an Integrated Approach to Water

This study synthesizes the results from three previous AMS Policy Program studies on water.

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Tags: 2018, Water management
Opportunities for Forecast-Informed Water Resources Management
Opportunities for Forecast-Informed Water Resources Management

This study analyzes how the forecasting and water resource communities could work together to improve water resource management across the United States.

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Tags: 2018, Water management
Translating Advances in Forecasting to Inform Water Resources Management
Translating Advances in Forecasting to Inform Water Resources Management

Bringing together scientists and managers from across the United States, the primary goal for this workshop (April 3-4, 2018) is to identify opportunities for more effective collaboration between forecasters and water managers.

Tags: 2018, Workshop, Water management