The NCA is a congressionally mandated quadrennial report prepared and submitted by the USGCRP. The fifth iteration of this report (NCA5), published in November 2023, provides the scientific foundation to support informed decision-making across the United States.

WWA’s Liz Payton is the lead author of the water chapter. She built and led a team of 11 experts from across the country who work in academia, local utilities, state and federal agencies, and private consulting. They brought expertise in hydrology, atmospheric science, groundwater, drought, extreme precipitation and flooding, water quality, snow, and water resources tools and data. The chapter analyzes current weather trends and projects future trends based on a comprehensive review and assessment of peer-reviewed literature and data. 

The water chapter findings can be summarized as follows: Weather and hazard changes will continue to cause profound changes in the water cycle, increasing the risk of flooding, drought, and degraded water supplies for both people and ecosystems. While data and tools for water resources planning are improving, water infrastructure standards and management policies have been slow to meet the new challenges.