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The Role of Climate Services in Adapting to Climate Variability and Change

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Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation

Abstract

Adaptation to climate change has risen up the political agenda in recent years, as the realization that we are committed to at least some level of climate change over the next few decades has been acknowledged. It is also the case that a range of different economic sectors, both public and private, increasingly recognize the need for, and importance of, adapting to climate change and the need to manage their climate risks. Adaptation to climate change is a complex issue, and successful adaptation will depend on the intelligent use and combination of a range of different factors, including scientific, organizational, social, and governance structures. This chapter focuses on the role that climate services can play in helping organizations and societies adapt to climate change and variability. It provides an overview of the key components of climate services and details the essential functions which climate services must develop, in order to fully play their role in supporting adaptation decisions and thus, helping society adapt to climate change.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge Roger Wakimoto, Rick Anthes, and Mel Shapiro for providing helpful comments on a previous version of the manuscript. The German Climate Service Center is funded by the Bundesministerium for Education and Research (BMBF), under contract number FZK: 01LK0903A. The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the US National Science Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Climate Service Center, Chilehaus – Eingang B, Fischertwiete 1, 20095, Hamburg, Helmholtz Zentrum Geesthacht, Germany

    Paul Bowyer

  2. Helmholtz Zentrum Geesthacht, Climate Service Center, Chilehaus - Eingang B, Fischertwiete 1, 20095, Hamburg, Germany

    Guy P. Brasseur

  3. National Center for Atmospheric Research, 3000, Boulder, CO, 80307, USA

    Guy P. Brasseur

  4. Climate Service Center, Chilehaus, Hamburg, Germany

    Daniela Jacob

  5. Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Bundesstrasse 53, 20146, Hamburg, Germany

    Daniela Jacob

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  1. Paul Bowyer
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  2. Guy P. Brasseur
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  3. Daniela Jacob
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul Bowyer .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

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Bowyer, P., Brasseur, G.P., Jacob, D. (2015). The Role of Climate Services in Adapting to Climate Variability and Change. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38670-1_29

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