Using climate information to support adaptation planning and policy-making: A step-by-step guide

There is a growing recognition that climate change should be considered, amongst other factors, in planning and managing resource allocations, investments and infrastructure, both public and private. This involves accounting for the range of climate conditions experienced in the past and the trends in how these conditions might change in the future.

Some of the information needed for such an analysis can be drawn from personal observations: how people have experienced the climate through cropping cycles, vegetation cover, river and sea levels, etc. over their lifetimes. However, this will only cover past conditions in a specific place, and provide limited details. Thus, it is often useful to supplement such information with scientific data that is systematically collected through observation networks and analyzed using carefully tested methods, including computer-based modelling. It is these large volumes of data and analytical methods that also make it possible to generate information about future climate conditions (climate projections) in addition to those measured in the past and the present (climate observations).

This document describes how weADAPT can be used together with CIP to quickly and easily access climate data for many locations across Africa, using an interactive map. The linkage of the two portals enables users to see the climate data context as they read about a project, or to find data to support their own research, project planning or policy design in a specific place or area.

The accompanying case study focuses on land use management and zoning in Philippi, a suburb of Cape Town that includes a large horticultural area that supplies at least 40% of Cape Town’s fresh produce, but where there is also increasing demand for housing development.

Download the guidance and case study (PDF, 943kb)

Note: This methodology has also been applied in a case study in coastal Tanzania.