Today, the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration is holding a conference on Planning Integrated Research for Decision Support for Climate. Specifically, it’s on “Adaptation and Water Management in Desert and Coastal Cities”

NOAA works to keep citizens informed about the changing environment, and involves scientific research and high-tech instrumentation that is accessible to planners, emergency managers and other decision makers.

One of the topics today was to look at the challenges faced by city managers and planners in relation to existing and anticipated water-related stresses –those related to water supply, water quality, waste water management, infrastructure, flood control, growth, etc. They looked at the knowledge gaps between tools and outcomes.

And the Decision Theater’s role? Director George Basile spoke of the need for a facility like this, embedded in a research university,  that could be both a place and an idea where  complex systems could be “seen” differently. Like NOAA, and many agencies tasked with connecting the dots between economic, social, and environmental factors, this decision-making environment at ASU is taking on the “earth and economy 3.0” issues head on.

Update: One of the key questions asked of breakout groups was “what information could NOAA provide to convince local decision-makers to put green infrastructure solutions into rural and suburban areas?”