Bridging the Gap Between Science and Decision-Making

This briefing transcript features Dr. Amy Snover, Director of the Climate Impacts Group and the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, discussing strategies to integrate climate science into decision-making. The discussion focuses on the co-production of data with stakeholders, specifically highlighting sea level rise planning in Washington State and vulnerability assessments for Northwest and Great Basin tribes.

• The Climate Impacts Group and the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (CASC) employ a three-part strategy to bridge the gap between science and decision-making: educating key actors through user-friendly briefs and training, enabling the use of science in risk management via targeted research and translation, and embedding scientists directly into management processes and contexts.
• The Washington Coastal Resilience Project developed sea level rise projections that improve upon previous data by incorporating polar ice sheet science, providing highly localized data for 171 locations, using probabilistic estimates rather than simple ranges, and extending projections to the year 2150 to support tribal long-term planning.
• The application of localized sea level rise data led the City of Tacoma's MetroParks to redesign a coastal park renovation, resulting in the relocation of new buildings away from the future shoreline and the reorientation of access to accommodate rising seas.
• To address technical barriers to climate preparedness for Northwest and Great Basin tribes, a co-produced online tool was developed based on input from 84 tribes. This tool provides tailored climate summaries, spatial information across geographies defined by the tribes, and downloadable custom reports in multiple formats.
• The Northwest CASC established a Tribal Climate Technical Support Desk—consisting of a hotline and email—to provide sustained support for data interpretation and vulnerability assessment work beyond the initial funding period of the project.
• Dr. Snover argues that the federal government should motivate science-based action by requiring and incentivizing the consideration of future climate conditions in current investments, while regional boundary organizations should act as conduits to leverage federal resources for local benefit and relay local needs back to the federal level.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2020). Bridging the Gap Between Science and Decision-Making. https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_041620.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Bridging the Gap Between Science and Decision-Making. 2020. https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_041620.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Bridging the Gap Between Science and Decision-Making |date=April 2020 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_041620.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2020bridging, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Bridging the Gap Between Science and Decision-Making}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_041620.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }