Climate information for humanitarian agencies: some basic principles

Erin Coughlan De Perez,Simon J Mason

doi:10.1186/2194-6434-1-11

Abstract

Since 2005, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre have had an ongoing partnership with the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) to connect end-users with providers of climate information. This partnership has enabled and encouraged the uptake of climate information in the humanitarian sector. From the perspective of the climate service provider, attempts to address problems of salience, credibility and legitimacy have been made by adopting the following set of principles: prioritize immediate user needs; provide only information that is relevant to the user context; provide decision support; right-scale rather than down-scale; and maintain ownership and partnership in design. Examples are presented of how these principles have been applied, highlighting not only the need to improve forecasts and their presentation, but also to address obstacles to the practical use of climate information.

Highlights

More than two thirds of the mortality and economic losses caused by natural hazards are weather or climate related (United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction 2009), but, when adequately informed, humanitarian actors can take action to prevent such hazards from becoming disasters (Braman et al 2010; Hellmuth et al 2011; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2012)
Since 2005, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre have partnered with the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) to connect end-users with providers of climate information
We identify principles that guide the collaboration and provide examples of the innovations in climate services that have resulted

Summary

Introduction

More than two thirds of the mortality and economic losses caused by natural hazards are weather or climate related (United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction 2009), but, when adequately informed, humanitarian actors can take action to prevent such hazards from becoming disasters (Braman et al 2010; Hellmuth et al 2011; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2012). Organizations within and outside of the humanitarian sector can replicate much of the methodology that has contributed to a successful partnership and the uptake of climate services in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.

Results

Conclusion