Recent funding cuts to the U.S. government agency National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, which keeps an eye on the world’s oceans and atmosphere, have begun to have an impact on the country’s ability to produce lifesaving weather forecasts, thus limiting the U.S. contribution to global climate reports.
Experts said this will affect the quality of weather and climate data that is available to countries around the world, limiting the ability to predict extreme weather events and monitor fishing. This lack of information will particularly hit low- and middle-income countries, as they often do not have the expertise to collect and process such data.
Hundreds of NOAA employees have been fired or forced into early retirement by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. In addition, the White House has confirmed that the government is seeking to cut NOAA’s budget for 2026 by at least 23%, or by $1.52 billion.
About the author
Disha Shetty
Disha Shetty is an independent science journalist based in Pune, India, who writes about public health, environment, and gender. She is the winner of the International Center for Journalists’ 2018 Global Health Reporting Contest Award. Disha has a Masters in Science, Environment, and Medicine Journalism from Columbia University.
