Chinese water managers' long-term climate information needs

Abstract

Decision-makers can use climate information to adapt to the risks of climate variability and change. The adequate provision of climate information is critical for adaptation planning in climate-sensitive sectors. However, for climate products to be appropriately tailored for these sectors, it is necessary to identify and understand users' specific information needs. The aim of this research was to assess the use of and need for climate information by water managers in China, with a focus on long-term climate information in the Yellow and Yangtze River basins. Data was collected from regional water managers, and climate information providers using a workshop (n = 15), and semi-structured interviews (n = 27). It was found that water manages in China required climate data with different timescales and variables. The findings show that water managers receive historical, weather and seasonal forecasts data from the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) mainly because there is a close dialogue between data providers and users in terms of historical, weather, and seasonal climate data that does not exist with regard to climate change projections. The use of external sources of climate change projections by users in China allows critical evaluation of climate services provided by the CMA; from that, an understanding of the limitations of current services such as limited variables and timescales was established.