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Climate service warnings: cautions about commercializing climate science for adaptation in the developing world
Author(s) -
Webber Sophie,
Donner Simon D
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
wiley interdisciplinary reviews: climate change
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.678
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1757-7799
pISSN - 1757-7780
DOI - 10.1002/wcc.424
Subject(s) - climate change , adaptation (eye) , political economy of climate change , climate science , service delivery framework , business , service (business) , order (exchange) , environmental resource management , climate change adaptation , political science , environmental planning , geography , marketing , environmental science , psychology , ecology , finance , neuroscience , biology
This article examines the increasing emphasis amongst climate scientists and development professionals on providing ‘climate services’ in order to inform adaptation decisions in vulnerable countries. The climate service business model hopes to provide ‘on demand’ and ‘actionable’ information products that are useful for policy makers. Drawing from literature across the natural and social sciences, we outline potential benefits and limits of this model of providing climate information and products, as well as recommendations for improving climate services. We argue that a shift away from the commercialized model of climate services may be necessary to ensure the creation, and consistent delivery, of products that practitioners in the developing world are able to employ in making adaptation decisions. WIREs Clim Change 2017, 8:e424. doi: 10.1002/wcc.424 This article is categorized under: Climate and Development > Knowledge and Action in Development Social Status of Climate Change Knowledge > Climate Science and Decision Making