Using climate information to achieve long-term development objectives in Zambia

The FCFA Zambia pilot study found that climate information is not currently used for long-term planning or infrastructure decisions in Zambia. While there is high demand for high-resolution projections, decision-makers often overlook the associated uncertainty. The brief recommends investing in 'adaptation ready' science, creating institutional incentives for collaboration between scientists and planners, and adopting interactive engagement methods like gamification to build trust and improve data flow. It also advocates for open data systems to break down departmental silos and the implementation of forecast-based financing to trigger early action before climate disasters occur.

• A pilot study in Zambia revealed that climate information is not currently being used to inform decisions regarding long-lived infrastructure or long-term planning.
• Decision-makers in Zambia show strong demand for high-resolution climate projections but generally fail to recognize that increased geographic detail leads to higher levels of uncertainty.
• There is a need for 'adaptation ready' climate science that focuses on real-world system thresholds, such as the probability of extreme rainfall events over 5-40 years or critical temperature levels for human health, rather than just annual or seasonal averages.
• Institutional barriers often isolate science providers from development planners; the brief suggests system-based approaches and organizational structures designed for dynamic relationships to align climate services with user needs.
• Interactive and creative engagement methods, such as serious games and experiential learning, can overcome communication barriers and build the trust necessary for climate-smart decision-making.
• The lack of open data systems in Zambia hinders adaptation, as environmental data collected by departments like the Meteorological Department, Department of Water Affairs, and Department of Agriculture are often inaccessible to other government officials.
• Forecast-based financing is proposed as a tool to enable early action in Zambia, such as distributing mosquito nets or prepositioning relief items before flooding occurs upstream of Victoria Falls.
• The 'UpRiver' prototype game in Zambia demonstrates the potential of combining participatory sensing and gamification to crowdsource water level data along the Zambezi River to calibrate hydrological models and increase trust in flood warnings.

APA

Koelle, B., Bachofen, C., Suarez, P., Coughlan, E., Jones, R., & Mudenda, W. (2015). Using climate information to achieve long-term development objectives in Zambia. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/FCFA_PolicyBrief_Zambia_WEB1.pdf

Chicago

Koelle, Bettina, Carina Bachofen, Pablo Suarez, Erin Coughlan, Richard Jones, and Wisford Mudenda. Using climate information to achieve long-term development objectives in Zambia. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2015. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/FCFA_PolicyBrief_Zambia_WEB1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Koelle |first1=Bettina |last2=Bachofen |first2=Carina |last3=Suarez |first3=Pablo |last4=Coughlan |first4=Erin |last5=Jones |first5=Richard |last6=Mudenda |first6=Wisford |title=Using climate information to achieve long-term development objectives in Zambia |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=January 2015 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/FCFA_PolicyBrief_Zambia_WEB1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{koelle2015using, author = {Koelle, Bettina and Bachofen, Carina and Suarez, Pablo and Coughlan, Erin and Jones, Richard and Mudenda, Wisford}, title = {{Using climate information to achieve long-term development objectives in Zambia}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2015}, month = jan, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/FCFA_PolicyBrief_Zambia_WEB1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }