An approach to designing a national climate service

Abstract

Climate variability and change are considerably important for a wide range of human activities and natural ecosystems. Climate science has made major advances during the last two decades, yet climate information is neither routinely useful for nor used in planning. What is needed is a mechanism, a national climate service (NCS), to connect climate science to decision-relevant questions and support building capacity to anticipate, plan for, and adapt to climate fluctuations. This article contributes to the national debate for an NCS by describing the rationale for building an NCS, the functions and services it would provide, and how it should be designed and evaluated. The NCS is most effectively achieved as a federal interagency partnership with critically important participation by regional climate centers, state climatologists, the emerging National Integrated Drought Information System, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Regional Integrated Sciences Assessment (RISA) teams in a sustained relationship with a wide variety of stakeholders. Because the NCS is a service, and because evidence indicates that the regional spatial scale is most important for delivering climate services, given subnational geographical/geophysical complexity, attention is focused on lessons learned from the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group's 10 years of experience, the first of the NOAA RISA teams.Pacific Northwest climate ͉ regional integrated sciences and assessments T he last 20 years have seen exciting advancements in climate science, from seasonal forecasting to understanding anthropogenic climate change. Equally exciting is the growing awareness in scientific and resource management communities of the opportunities and challenges presented by these scientific advancements. Capturing the full potential of this increasing synergism between the producers and users of climate information, however, requires more than can be provided by existing institutional arrangements. What is needed is a sustained mechanism for promoting science to support decision-relevant questions, translating new climate information into relevant decision environments, and building regional and national capacity to anticipate, plan for, and adapt to climate variability and change.

Research core and framework of sustainability science

“…Organization for information sharing is another form of adaptation that might have only an indirect effect of adaptation to climate change. For example, Miles et al (2006) argued the necessity of integrating the climate services of nations into an international climate service. This is because current United States observational capacity, which is primarily national and administered by federal agencies, is highly fragmented, with different systems established at different times by different organizations for different reasons, all without cross-calibration.…”

Green Growth and Equity in the Context of Climate Change: Some Considerations

“…However, the very approach of using deterministic information to mobilize action-launching emergency food security operations after a drought has occurred, for example, means that institutions are not geared to handle uncertain and time ahead forecasts. As Miles et al (2006) observe, "Despite the increasing predictability of climate, … Every empirical study conducted to date has shown that climate forecasts are not used to their full potential." While disaster response efforts will still be needed, managing (future) uncertainty requires appreciation of potential risks and the adoption of anticipatory risk management, prior to actual impacts.…”

Internet-Based Heat Evaluation and Assessment Tool (I-HEAT): Feasibility Analysis of a Visualization and Decision-support Tool for Extreme Heat Preparedness in Detroit, Michigan

“…National research priorities pertaining to climate change and health have garnered attention from public and private entities, and several researchers have called for the integration of climate and health data to better inform climate change mitigation and adaptation planning decisions (Hess, Schramm, and Luber 2014;Bierbaum et al 2013;Miles et al 2006). Heat-related vulnerability, as defined by Wilhemi and Hayden (2010), comprises exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity.…”