Climate information for international development
Working in partnership with scientific institutions in developing countries to generate and communicate information on climate variability and change
The Climate Information for International Development team is a diverse mix of scientific software engineers and scientists working to generate, analyse and communicate information to a range of customers. Activities include scientific analysis and training, model development, regional climate model downscaling, capacity building, and the delivery of tailored products to enable climate resilient development.
Through harnessing the Met Office's expertise in climate science and climate services, the team focuses on applied climate science projects. We work on a range of public and private sector funded projects; customers include the World Bank and the UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The team has strong links to academic institutions and we regularly partner with experts in climate science and climate change adaptation in large research consortia.
For many years the team has engaged with institutions across the world, such as national meteorological services, universities, research institutes, commercial companies and more, to increase their capacity in generating and communicating climate information. Activities include training in the science of climate modelling and climate change, and the installation of the PRECIS: a regional climate modelling system (Providing REgional Climates for Impact Studies) regional climate modelling system, developed at the Met Office Hadley Centre. As well as running PRECIS training courses, we provide ongoing technical and scientific support to PRECIS users.
Key aims
- To provide reliable, actionable climate information to a range of stakeholders, primarily in developing countries.
- To continue developing world class capabilities in generating regional climate information, regional climate modelling and applied climate research.
- To help build capacity in generating regional climate information and regional climate modelling at scientific institutions across the world.
Current projects and activities
- Deltas, Vulnerability &: As part of the Collaborative Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA), the project is analysing the impacts of climate change and other environmental drivers across contrasting deltas in Africa and Asia
- Building capacity and improving climate resilience in the Philippines: A DFID funded project to help build capacity and resilience to changing typhoon risks and climate extremes in the Philippines
- European Provision Of Regional Impacts Assessments on Seasonal and Decadal Timescales(EUPORIAS): Working closely with a number of European stakeholders, this project seeks to develop fully working prototypes of climate services addressing the need of specific users in Europe
- Future Resilience for African Cities and Lands (FRACTAL): Led by the Climate System Analysis Group at the University of Cape Town, and jointly funded by DFID and NERC through the Future Climate for Africa Programme (FCFA), the project is focused on climate risks and decision making in southern African cities within their regional dependencies
- Managing the Risks, Impacts and Uncertainties of drought and water Scarcity (MaRIUS): The NERC funded project MaRIUS will introduce a risk-based approach to drought and water scarcity in order to inform management decisions and prepare households.