This document discusses user-oriented climate adaptation platforms and approaches to integrating user needs. It defines climate services as providing climate products or advice to assist decision-making. Traditionally, climate services took a top-down approach, but now focus on understanding user contexts and specifying requirements. Meeting user needs involves tailoring information, evolving user capacities over time, and adapting to evolving policy requirements. Key approaches discussed are web-based information provision, capacity building, and direct policy support.

1. User Orientated
Adaptation Platforms
Barry O’Dwyer and Jeremy Gault
MaREI, University College Cork, Ireland
This event has been organised with the financial support of the European Union’s Partnership
Instrument. The opinions expressed are the sole responsibility of the speakers and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Supported by
ENHANCING CONNECTIONS ACROSS CLIMATE ADAPTATION PLATFORMS Canada’s Virtual Knowledge Exchange Event
Session #4: From knowledge to action: exploring approaches to integrating identified user needs into platform offerings

2. Earth
Observation
Data
Climate
Modelling
(Projections)
Climate Impact
Assessment
Adaptation
Services,
Disaster Risk
Assessment
Climate
Change Action
(Adaptation,
Mitigation)
Climate Change
Information
Decision-making
Information
Local data, short
time scales
Global and international data,
long time scales
Usability
in
Decision
Making
Climate Services and Users
Climate services have been broadly
defined as the provision of one or
more climate products or advice in
such a way as to assist decision-
making by individuals or
organizations (World Meteorological
Organisation, 2013)
Climate Services are developed for a
wide range of users and for a range
of purposes.

3. Development of Traditional Climate Services
Useful Information Users
Made Data Available
Science
A Uni-directional/Top-down/’Loading Dock’ approach

4. Development of User Orientated Climate
Services
Understand Context
of Use
Design Solutions
Specify
Requirements
Evaluate

5. Meeting User Needs: Tailoring Information
Climate adaptation is context dependent and it is uniquely linked to location, making development and
implementation of measures predominantly actions undertaken at local government and community level

6. Meeting User Needs: Evolving User Capacities
Awareness Raising Planning Implementing

7. Meeting User Needs – Evolving Policy
Requirements

8. KE4CAP and User Needs
• VKE1 – An Introduction to
KE4CAP, where we are and
next steps
• VKE2 – CAPs: Supporting
and working with Local
Authorities adnn other local
users
• VKE3: Ensuring platforms
agility in order to meet
evolving user needs
• VKE4: Communications,
knowledge brokering and
stewardship.

10. Web-based Information
Provision
Capacity Building and
Training
Directly Supporting
Policy

11. Thank You
b.odwyer@ucc.ie