Shaping global agendas on climate risk management and climate services: an IRI perspective

James W Hansen,Stephen Zebiak,Kevin Coffey

doi:10.1186/2194-6434-1-13

James W Hansen, Stephen Zebiak + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/2194-6434-1-13

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Journal: Earth Perspectives	Publication Date: Jan 1, 2014
Citations: 23	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: Columbia University

Abstract

This paper provides a historical overview of the development and mainstreaming of global agendas on climate risk management and climate services from the vantage point of the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), and present two examples that illustrate how efforts to mainstream these agendas shaped both the institute and the broader communities that it sought to engage. In the first example, we trace developments that led to the emergence of a global agenda on climate services, including creation of the Climate Services Partnership (CSP). The CSP is an informal, open network of interested climate information users, providers, donors and researchers, serves as a platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration to advance climate service capabilities worldwide. The second example is mainstreaming climate risk management within the international agricultural research-for-development community. The CGIAR research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) was structured to include a research theme on “Adaptation through Managing Climate Risk,” which put climate risk management on the same footing within the agenda as adaptation to future climate change. We conclude with several lessons drawn from IRI’s involvement in the processes that shaped global agendas around climate risk management and climate services.

Highlights

Over the past 15 years, the focus and strategy of the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) evolved – from climate prediction and applications, toward a more holistic approach to climate risk management and to climate services – in parallel with the agenda of the broader climate research and applications community that it has sought to engage (Goddard et al 2014)
This paper provides a historical overview of the development and mainstreaming of global agendas on climate risk management and climate services from the vantage point of the IRI, and illustrates how IRI’s approach to research and partnership influenced both the institute and the broader communities that it sought to engage
The IRI’s experience in participating in the development and mainstreaming of new global agendas suggests a few lessons for other institutions working internationally at the interface between science and society: First, engaging in global dialogs and partnering with larger communities can multiply impact relative to what is possible through the direct efforts of an institution’s own staff

Summary

Introduction

This paper provides a historical overview of the development and mainstreaming of global agendas on climate risk management (focused on agriculture and food security) and climate services from the vantage point of the IRI (summarized in Figure 1), and illustrates how IRI’s approach to research and partnership influenced both the institute and the broader communities that it sought to engage. A partnership between the IRI and the international agricultural research community provided an opportunity to develop and apply the IRI’s evolving thinking about CRM in the context of a new applied research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).

Results

Conclusion