Portal Tools for Targeting Climate Information Users: The NIDIS Experience

Translation of scientific information for targeted user groups is a critical challenge facing the development of any comprehensive climate services framework. This talk explores the lessons learned from the development of a National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) portal (drought.gov) to this end. The NIDIS portal focuses on communities of shared user interest, distinct tabular and map-based data accessibility pathways, and the judicious use of database crawlers to incorporate new and emerging data and information. These foci are informing the development of a climate services portal within NOAA scheduled for initial release in 2009.