Science to Action

The NASA Sea Level Change Team (N-SLCT) works with partners to translate the latest science and research on sea level rise and communicate how impacts are increasing at the coast. The goal is to use science to support action. Below are some of the active efforts between N-SLCT and partners to support planning and adaptation efforts that are underway both nationally and internationally.

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  United Nations Rising Nations Initiative

  Providing data, analysis and monitoring to support efforts to address impact of sea level rise on Pacific Island Nations

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  For low-lying island nations in the Pacific Ocean, increasing sea levels pose an existential threat. Many of these islands have already begun experiencing impacts driven by the combined effects of the rising ocean, storms, naturally-occurring ocean variability, and changes in other physical processes. Impacts are expected to worsen in the future, and planning and adaptation is underway. To support these efforts, the Rising Nations Initiative (RNI), enabled by the UN Global Center for Climate Mobility, aims to protect the statehood of Pacific Island nations, preserve their sovereignty and safeguard the rights and heritage of affected populations. The N-SLCT has partnered with the RNI to provide data and information regarding ongoing and future sea level rise that is needed at the foundation of RNI's activities. As a first step, the RNI and N-SLCT has focused on the country of Tuvalu and has produced an assessment report on rising sea levels and associated impacts. This represents the first step in the partnership that is expected to expand to other Pacific Islands in the near future.

  The report titled "Assessment of Sea Level Rise and Associated Impacts for Tuvalu" produced by the N-SLCT can be found here.

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  Practitioner Exchange for Effective Response to Sea Level Rise (PEERS)

  Technical support for global practitioner network working to improve planning for and adapting to sea level rise

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  The N-SLCT is partnering with the Practitioner Exchange for Effective Response to Sea Level Rise (PEERS) to provide technical support and address targeted needs for planning and adaptation. PEERS is the first global collaborative led by practitioners working across boundaries to proactively address the risks of sea level rise and related coastal hazards. This global community of practice is developing and disseminating leading practices in coastal adaptation, sharing knowledge about actionable science, and identifying vulnerability assessment and adaptation action approaches to accelerate solutions at all scales. PEERS was developed out of practitioner-led global workshops and convenings and is managed by an international committee made up of leading practitioners working alongside valued partners from the science, engineering, NGO, and consulting communities. The partnership between N-SLCT and PEERS helps align NASA observations and research with the needs of those supporting planning and adaptation, and allows for broader dissemination and impact of the information NASA and the N-SLCT produces.