Expanding the Drought Learning Network to the U.S. Caribbean

The Caribbean Drought Learning Network (CDLN) is a peer-to-peer network that links climate service providers, climate researchers and resource managers to share knowledge and strengthen collaboration and communication in drought research and management in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where drought constrains agricultural production, impacts the economy, and diminishes quality of life. The goal of this network is to produce and share information, lessons learned, and needs in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from drought affecting farms, forests, and rural communities. One benefit of the CDLN is preserving the continuity of knowledge between severe droughts so that communities retain preparedness. The CDLN is led by the USDA Caribbean Climate Hub, with participation from the USDA-FS, the National Drought Mitigation Center, and NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System. The Drought Learning Network was previously implemented in the U.S. Southwest and was expanded to the U.S. Caribbean in 2021.