Using Climate Information for Climate Risk Management

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Information about climate variability and change is used for many purposes. USAID, other donors, and development practitioners use climate information for climate risk management (CRM), which helps safeguard and enhance investments by building resilience to climate impacts. These organizations also use climate information to support programs that help countries contribute to climate change mitigation, adapt to climate change impacts, or both.

National and local governments, communities and individuals also use climate information to inform decision-making and to support climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

Understanding Uncertainty

As you read through the tips for using climate information, it will be helpful to keep in mind the distinction between uncertainty and lack of information. Uncertainty should not be equated with a lack of information nor should it be a barrier to action. Although climate information contains uncertainties about warming, shifting rainfall patterns, sea level rise and how those changes will interact with other variables, the level of uncertainty is actually lower than uncertainties affecting other key public policy decisions (e.g., military procurement and financial system regulation). In fact, credible information about the past, recent trends, likely future trajectories and potential impacts can strengthen design and implementation of development programs. This information can help us design and manage as well as possible given that the past is no longer a reliable predictor of the future. That said, as in other areas, there are special considerations for using information that contains uncertainties.