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Determining what visualisations are most appropriate for the effective communication of climate information to practitioners and decision makers is fundamental to the successful provision of climate services to support climate change adaptation. Given inherent uncertainties in projecting future climate, and issues in the reliability of climate models, it is particularly important to ensure the caveats and limitations of climate data are communicated effectively. Despite climate scientists’ efforts to provide decision-relevant information, insufficient research has been conducted to examine how different user groups and individuals perceive and interpret climate information. Are the graphical visualisations that we currently use clear and appropriate? In addition, how best might we utilise novel interactive tools to improve the communication of climate information?

Researchers at CSAG, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Leeds in the UK, are working together to develop an empirical research base to inform the visualisation of climate information in Africa. The research aims to guide the development of climate services across the continent and feed into the development of the Climate Information Platform, hosted by CSAG.

Results from an online survey targeted at the African vulnerability, impacts and adaptation communities, can be found here. The results are being written up into a paper that will soon be submitted for peer-review. The provisional title of the paper is “Issues in visualising climate data to inform adaptation decisions”.

The project is being led by Dr Joseph Daron.

 

 

 

 

Image source: (http://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/Images/Events/Ethicsseminarbanner.jpg)

One Response to “Visualising climate information”

  1. Gillie Cheelo

    Hello Dr Joseph Daron, your project summary has evoked my interest in promoting awareness and sharing of climate data gained during my Internship at World World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Geneva Switzerland.

    Main tasks completed were:
    • Surveyed on meteorological and environmental satellite products collections documented online, and evaluated their suitability for inclusion in the Product Access Guide (PAG) online resource developed by a WMO Space Programmes. Additionally, I collected references and links to related training materials and international scientific expert team on meteorology such as for precipitation, winds etc. PAG is aimed at providing less experienced satellite data users with a gateway to quality controlled satellite data and product from various satellite operators;

    • Assisted in responding to the needs expressed by four developing countries (Kenya, Cameroun, Ethiopia and Mauritius) relating to the access and use of meteorological satellite data and associated training/capacity building, based on the result of a WMO Survey conducted in 2012;