ALISON THIEME

Implementing a Global Tool Based on Spatially Continuous Precipitation

Analysis for Resiliency Monitoring and Measuring at the Community-Scale

​

Advisors:

Dr. Kenton Ross, NASA LaRC

Dr. John Bolten, NASA GSFC

​

Project Team:

Jared Tomlin (Project Lead), jt12@hood.edu

Raghda “Didi” El-Behaedi

Ryan Lingo

Sean McCartney

Alison Thieme

​

Abstract:

Global water resources are important for societies, economies, and the environment. In Niger, limited water resources restrict the expansion of communities and agriculture. Mercy Corps, a humanitarian aid agency, currently works in over forty countries around the world to address a variety of stresses. These include water resources and building long-term food resilience. A partnership between NASA DEVELOP and Mercy Corps was established as a means to facilitate the integration of NASA Earth observations into Mercy Corps’ resilience building process. Using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM), and Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS), the team created a precipitation climatology that highlights low and high rainfall from 1981 to 2016. A Google Earth Engine tool, RAIn (Rainfall Analysis Integration), was built to help visualize and analyze both environmental and socioeconomic datasets. This tool allows for near real-time updates of trends in precipitation and improves Mercy Corps’ ability to spatially evaluate changes in resiliency by monitoring shocks and stressors.

​

Acknowledgements: 

 

Théodore Kabore, Mercy Corps

Kate McMahon, Mercy Corps

David Nicholson, Mercy Corps

Sandrine Chetail, Mercy Corps

Eliot Levine, Mercy Corps

James "Jamie" Favors, NASA

Frederick "Fritz" Policelli, NASA

Dr. Eric Brown De Colstoun, NASA

Dr. David Green, NASA

Dr. John Bolten, NASA

​

Google Earth Engine Script:

https://github.com/NASA-DEVELOP/RAiN

​

Accolades

This project was used as a submission to the AGU Data Visualization and Storytelling Competition

for 2017 and was selected as a runner up prize winner. 

​

This material is based upon work supported by NASA through contract NNL11AA00B and cooperative agreement NNX14AB60A. Any mention of a commercial product, service, or activity in this material does not constitute NASA endorsement. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and partner organizations.