What makes a climate service successful?

Publications 

 Door Eva Boon 

 22 / 08 / 2022 

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At CAS we provide various services aimed at climate adaptation. We create atlases about climate effects, provide training on climate information, and we develop tools that help parties gain insight into climate risks. Eva Boon conducted a study on the issue of what makes a climate service successful. She wrote an article about it together with colleagues from CAS and Wageningen University Research (WUR). For the research they analysed 149 scientific articles on the subject. This research is part of Eva’s PhD project. 

Eva Boon weet alles over dit project

Many ideas about a successful climate service

The study shows that there are many different ideas about what makes a climate service successful. However, few scientists give a clear definition of a successful climate service. Some scientists emphasise the process around climate services. For example: the climate service should be co-created. Or: all parties involved should learn something from it. Other scientists focus on the quality of the underlying data and whether new scientific publications on the climate service will be published. Other scientists are particularly interested in the actual use of a climate service. 

Few evaluations  

The study also shows that there is still little evaluation by scientists of the success of climate services. As a result, we do not really know which factors and processes contribute to success. Although there are many ideas on this subject, it is still difficult to prove success. 

Context plays an important role  

Many scientists state in their articles that context often plays an important role in the success of a climate service. For example: someone who takes climate risks very seriously will use a climate service more than someone who thinks that climate change is not that bad. And a user with good technical skills will be better able to use a climate impact atlas than a user who is less technically skilled. Another factor is what data and knowledge are available for a particular area. 

How do we move forward?

In order to understand what makes a climate service successful, it is important to have a clear definition of a successful climate service. In a new study, Eva is therefore working together with climate service experts from all over the world to come up with one clear definition. In the future, she would also like to investigate which factors and processes contribute to success, and in what context. 

Many ideas about a successful climate service

The study shows that there are many different ideas about what makes a climate service successful. However, few scientists give a clear definition of a successful climate service. Some scientists emphasise the process around climate services. For example: the climate service should be co-created. Or: all parties involved should learn something from it. Other scientists focus on the quality of the underlying data and whether new scientific publications on the climate service will be published. Other scientists are particularly interested in the actual use of a climate service. 

Few evaluations  

The study also shows that there is still little evaluation by scientists of the success of climate services. As a result, we do not really know which factors and processes contribute to success. Although there are many ideas on this subject, it is still difficult to prove success. 

Context plays an important role  

Many scientists state in their articles that context often plays an important role in the success of a climate service. For example: someone who takes climate risks very seriously will use a climate service more than someone who thinks that climate change is not that bad. And a user with good technical skills will be better able to use a climate impact atlas than a user who is less technically skilled. Another factor is what data and knowledge are available for a particular area. 

How do we move forward?

In order to understand what makes a climate service successful, it is important to have a clear definition of a successful climate service. In a new study, Eva is therefore working together with climate service experts from all over the world to come up with one clear definition. In the future, she would also like to investigate which factors and processes contribute to success, and in what context. 

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