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Words matter: using language and technology to better inform the climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction communities

The authors advocate for the creation of a climate change “translator” that helps the climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction communities find a way to better communicate with one another.

Julia Barrott, Sukaina Bharwani / Published on 31 January 2018
Citation

Barrott, J. and Bharwani, S., (2018). "Words matter: using language and technology to better inform the climate change adaptation and disaster risk reducation communities", brief for PLACARD (PLAtform for Climate Adaptation and Risk reDuction), https://www.placard-network.eu/wp-content/PDFs/PLACARD-Words-matter-report.pdf

The huge amount of information available for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction is useful only if people can find what they need to know.

Significant knowledge gaps that remain do not necessarily represent a lack of knowledge, but a lack of the ability to find “relevant” knowledge. This situation impedes collaboration, creates redundancies, and leaves many people unsure about who is working where, and on what.

The Information Age transformed the potential for knowledge-sharing. Nevertheless, in practice, knowledge languishes across many Internet locations (e.g., research databases, institutional websites), waiting to be discovered. What can rectify this?

The authors argue that the answers lie in how we communicate with one another, and how we use the technologies now at our disposal to connect work on these important issues. To that end, the brief advances the case for more considered knowledge-sharing practices, so that the information we have can be used to its full potential.

SEI authors

Profile picture of Julia Barrott
Julia Barrott

Results and Impact Manager

Results and Learning

SEI Oxford

Sukaina Bharwani

Senior Research Fellow and weADAPT Director

SEI Oxford

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