Towards a dedicated impact portal to bridge the gap between the impact and climate communities : Lessons from use cases

Maarten Plieger,Lars Bärring,Serge Planton,Edoardo Bucchignani,Wim Som De Cerff,Constantin Mares,Céline Déandreis,Pascale Braconnot,Sylvie Joussaume,Ronald Hutjes,Christian Pagé

doi:10.1007/s10584-014-1139-7

Abstract

Future climate evolution is of primary importance for the societal, economical, political orientations and decision-making. It explains the increasing use of climate projections as input for quantitative impact studies, assessing vulnerability and defining adaptation strategies in different sectors. Here we analyse 17 national and representative use cases so as to identify the diversity of the demand for climate information depending on user profiles as well as the best practices, methods and tools that are needed to answer the different requests. A particular emphasis is put on the workflow that allows to translate climate data into suitable impact data, the way to deal with the different sources of uncertainty and to provide a suited product to users. We identified three complementary tools to close the gap between climate scientists and user needs: an efficient interface between users and providers; an optimized methodology to handle user requests and a portal to facilitate access to data and elaborated products. We detail in the paper how these three tools can limit the intervention of experts, educate users, and lead to the production of useful information. This work provides the basis on which the ENES (European Network for Earth System Modelling) Portal Interface for the Climate Impact Communities is built.

Highlights

Climate change adaptation is becoming a high priority as shown by the positioning of the political institutions and the increasing number of economical cost studies (IPCC 2007; Hope 2009; National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, 2011)
The results of global climate models (GCM), such as the ones performed at the international level as part of the Coupled Modelling Intercomparison Project (CMIP) (Meehl et al 2000, Taylor et al 2012) represent the scientific ground that serves as a basis for preparing adaptation
The work undertaken throughout the processing chain from climate model output to delivery of climate information is time-consuming and not well understood neither by the user communities, nor by the research communities, mainly because it is a fast emerging topic

Summary

Introduction

Climate change adaptation is becoming a high priority as shown by the positioning of the political institutions and the increasing number of economical cost studies (IPCC 2007; Hope 2009; National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, 2011) Integrating such relatively new issues into a complex framework of already existing policy, planning and management processes is challenging and has led to the need to develop “Climate Services” (Global Framework for Climate Services 2011). Further guidance and outreach must be provided for non-expert users In this context there is an urgent need to develop and put into place services to guide the users and to promote the best practices to use climate model outputs in impact and adaptation studies.

Characterizing the user needs from a representative set of use cases

Understanding the different steps to produce relevant information

Selecting spatio-temporal resolutions and datasets

Uncertainties

Closing the gaps between climate scientists and user needs

Methods limitation

Findings

Concluding remarks