Publication

Most climate science is done for climate scientists. Designed and presented with the needs of the research community in mind, projects often fall short of providing the information needed by policymakers.

The science-centred approach has built an invaluable global knowledge base about past, present, and projected future climate change. But to translate this knowledge into plans for adaptation, policymakers need data tailored to the decisions they have to make. Today, climate researchers face the challenge of producing and delivering this decision-relevant data — based on sound science as well as a grasp of who is using climate information and how.

The Adapting to Climate Change in China (ACCC) project has taken on this challenge. ACCC is working to provide climate scenarios that can better inform assessments of vulnerability and risk, and strategies for adaptation. The program builds on previous projects supported by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and on existing efforts to model China's climate. Researchers in China have accumulated substantial experience and skill in regional climate modelling.

But in China as elsewhere, there is a gap between climate modellers and the risk-assessment and adaptation community. The 'end-users' of climate data are growing in number and becoming more diverse in terms of their needs worldwide, as countries confront the impacts of climate change and strengthen the political will to respond. To steer scientific work — and communicate the results effectively — researchers must be aware of these diverse users’ requirements, know their key questions about climate threats, and evaluate what data and information is available to respond to their requirements. The uncertainties and complexities of climate change can make it an especially difficult leap from investigating Earth systems to informing policy decisions.