National climate assessments, which are required by law to inform the public about the effects of climate change across the United States, appear to have vanished from the federal websites where they were previously accessible, making it more difficult for local officials and communities to find reliable information about how climate change could impact their regions.
Experts emphasise that these comprehensive, peer-reviewed reports are critical for protecting lives and reducing costs by helping communities prepare for climate risks. However, the websites hosting the reports were offline, offering no explanations, alternative links, or guidance on where to find the data.
Donald Trump’s White House said, to meet legal requirements, the reports will now be managed by NASA, though it provided no further clarification. Attempts to locate the assessments on NASA’s websites were unsuccessful, and the agency did not reply to requests for comment.
“It’s critical for decision-makers across the country to know what the science in the National Climate Assessment is. That is the most reliable and well-reviewed source of information about climate that exists for the United States,” said Kathy Jacobs, a University of Arizona climate scientist, who coordinated the 2014 version of the report.
“It’s a sad day for the United States if it is true that the National Climate Assessment is no longer available,” Jacobs added. “This is evidence of serious tampering with the facts and with people’s access to information, and it actually may increase the risk of people being harmed by climate-related impacts.”
Under the Global Change Research Act of 1990, the federal government is required to produce a national climate assessment every four years and to create a United States Global Change Research Program, overseen by the president.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration informed the volunteer scientists working on the upcoming assessment that their contributions would no longer be needed. In addition, the administration terminated the contract with the private company that had been assisting with managing the report and its associated website.