NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NDVI Normalized Difference Vegetation Index

NGA National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

NGO non-governmental organization

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NPOESS National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite

NRC National Research Council

RFE rainfall estimates

SARS severe acute respiratory syndrome

SCLB southern corn leaf blight

SNV Sin Nombre virus (hantavirus strain)

SPOT Systeme Pour l’Observation de la Terre

SST sea surface temperature

TRMM Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission

USAID U.S. Agency for International Development

USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture

USGS U.S. Geological Survey

USGS/EDC U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Operations and Science Data Center

UN United Nations

VIIRS Visible Infrared Imager Raidometer Suite

VRT variable rate technology

WatER Water Elevation Recovery mission

WRSI Water Requirement Satisfaction Index