How work on climate services can be developed

Planning for the society of the future requires information and data on climate and climate change. Climate services, such as SMHI's climate scenario service at smhi.se, provide users with access to information in the form of maps, diagrams, and downloadable data. It is essential that these services are developed and adapted to users' needs so that they can make informed decisions, for example.

Long-term solutions for better use

In the scientific article “Navigating towards strengthened climate service processes” published in Ambio, researchers Lotten Wirén, Linköping University, and Gustav Strandberg, SMHI, reflect on the challenges and obstacles facing climate services. They argue that there is a need for the production and use of climate information to be part of long-term processes rather than short-term studies and initiatives. This will create resilient development and bridge a persistent usability gap.

Read the scientific article in Ambio (link.springer.com) External link.

More specifically, the researchers recommend promoting data production and analysis, establishing a forum for collaboration on climate services, working for active users, and prioritizing long-term funding.

– What we can say in general, based on our experience and the literature, is that there is a gap between how/what the service delivers and the needs of users. By engaging in active and committed dialogue with users, we can find out what they want and how the information should be presented in order to be useful. Funding is also an important aspect of long-term planning, says Gustav Strandberg, climate researcher at SMHI.

The lessons learned in the scientific article are being applied in the work of SMHI's climate scenario service.

– We want our climate scenario service to have an impact on society. It is not enough to assume what our target groups' needs are, or to simply showcase what we ourselves are proud of in the way that makes most sense to us. A recently launched user group in Gothenburg has already given us insights into the conditions users are given to absorb and use the information we are trying to convey – and it varies greatly. We need to engage with users, have an open culture for dialogue, and be prepared to adapt if we are to reduce the "usability gap", says Pontus Törnwall, product manager for climate information at SMHI.

The issue of long-term planning is also a topical one.

– The production chain behind climate services is often long and complicated, and requires long-term planning. We often talk in terms of years, not months, for major changes to the content and function of the service. We strive to take as long-term a perspective as possible, but there are many challenges, says Pontus Törnwall.

Cutting-edge research for climate services

In the new research project “Exploring the Transformative Potential of Climate Services,” SMHI researchers will collaborate with a group of researchers from the Environmental Change and Media and Information Technology departments at Linköping University to address the future of climate services.

– In the project, we will contribute our expertise in climate modeling and climate data. Packaging is important, but we must not forget the development of the models. We will also contribute our experience of running a climate scenario service, says Gustav Strandberg.

The researchers will focus primarily on climate services for agriculture, urban planning, and the energy sector. They will draw on insights from communication research, visualization research, and climate modeling. The project has received funding from the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation and will run for five years.