SUOMI NPP/VIIRS: Improve drought watch, crop losses prediction and food security

In the recent two decades, the role of satellite observations for climate and land services increased considerably, especially with the introduction in 2011 of the new generation of NOAA operational satellites, called Suomi NPOSS Polar-Orbiting Partnership (S-NPP). S-NPP will continue as the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) for the next two decades. The Visible-Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), which will be used these goals, is accommodating the best technical and scientific features of its predecessors and has many new important features. S-NPP and JPSS, in addition to data collection, will address the impacts of climate and weather on industries, water, energy, population health, and other resources and activities. This paper is discussing how these operational satellites improve early drought detection, monitoring its features (intensity, duration, area etc) and prediction of agricultural losses; how fast Earth natural resources deteriorate; if the current warm climate intensifies droughts and increase its area and duration. These climate services have already become available to global community (http://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/smcd/emb/vci/VH/index.php). The S-NPP/VIIRS data permits its users to enhance long-term environmental data records improving the ability to estimate climate warming, land cover changes and better monitoring of environmental resources.