Abstract
Making climate-sensitive economic sectors resilient to climate trends and shocks, through adaptation to climate change and managing uncertainties associated with climate extremes, will require effective use of climate information to help practitioners make climate-informed decisions. The provision of weather and climate information will depend on the availability of climate data and its presentation in formats that are useful for decision making at different levels. However, in many places around the world, including most African countries, the collection of climate data has been seriously inadequate, and even when available, poorly accessible. On the other hand, the availability of climate data by itself may not lead to the uptake and use of such data. These data must be presented in user-friendly formats addressing specific climate information needs in order to be used for decision-making by governments, as well as the public and private sectors. The generated information should also be easily accessible. The Enhancing National Climate Services (ENACTS) initiative, led by Columbia University’s International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), has been making efforts to overcome these challenges by supporting countries to improve the available climate data, as well as access to and use of climate information products at relevant spatial and temporal scales. Challenges to the availability of climate data are alleviated by combining data from the national weather observation network with remote sensing and other global proxies to generate spatially and temporally complete climate datasets. Access to climate information products is enhanced by developing an online mapping service that provides a user-friendly interface for analyzing and visualizing climate information products such as maps and graphs.
Highlights
Managing the risks of climate variability and change and making the best of favorable climate conditions will require the implementation of adaptation strategies that address current climate variability alongside risks from future climate change
This section describes the different components of Maprooms and some of the availThis section describes the different components of Maprooms and some of the available products in the Enhancing National Climate Services (ENACTS) Maprooms
These maps are available at a regional level, able products in the ENACTS Maprooms
Summary
Managing the risks of climate variability and change and making the best of favorable climate conditions will require the implementation of adaptation strategies that address current climate variability alongside risks from future climate change This is best achieved through mainstreaming and the integration of climate issues in development planning and practices [1]. Historical climate information helps establish connections to relevant impacts, allowing decision-makers to understand the nature of climate variability and trends, and assess the utility of new practices and policies. Historical climate data can be utilized to examine climate trends and to analyze the characteristics of climate that are most relevant to practical applications, including the frequency of extreme events, the timing of monsoon onset, dry spells, heat waves, and others. In Africa, for example, where many nations depend on rain-fed agriculture for their livelihoods and economic well-being, climate data is a critical input for decisions
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