New England WSC seminar series Pagsuyoin 20171012

Date/Time: Thursday, October 12, 2017, 12:00 pm

Title: ADVISER Model: An Adaptive Spatio–Temporal Model for Analyzing Regional Drought Impacts

Presented by: Sheree Pagsuyoin, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Location: USGS, Massachusetts Office, Northborough, MA

Abstract: 

ADVISER Model: An Adaptive Spatio-Temporal Model for Analyzing Regional Drought Impacts

Sheree Pagsuyoin¹, Joost Santos², Gustavo Salcedo¹

¹Civil and EnvironmentalEngineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, MA

²Engineering Management and Systems Engineering, George Washington, DC

Droughts cause profound societal impacts that range from minor to catastrophic proportions. Because water is an essential resource in delivering goods and services, drought events can lead to tremendous economic losses that propagate through inherently interdependent economic sectors. These sectors exhibit varying resilience to drought severity and duration depending on their reliance on water availability. This presentation will discuss the visual and dynamic Adaptive Drought Vulnerability Index for Strategic Emergency Response (ADVISER) model, a decision support tool that enables the adaptive mapping of regional vulnerabilities to increasing drought severity. The ADVISER model integrates several drought-related databases to identify gaps in current drought management programs and assists in formulating targeted approaches for addressing region-specific drought emergencies. Its dynamic features allow policymakers to examine how the regional resilience to drought evolves over time in response to external factors (e.g., water management interventions) triggered by prolonged drought. A case application of the ADVISER model is demonstrated for the State of Massachusetts, which experienced historic widespread drought conditions in 2016.