From climate knowledge to action Towards usable climate science: Informing decisions and provision of climate services to the agriculture and water sectors of southeastern South America

This fact sheet describes a co-funded research project led by the Universidad de Buenos Aires and the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) aimed at providing usable climate services for the agriculture and water sectors in southeastern South America. The project focuses on the co-production of knowledge between scientists and stakeholders to create reliable, accessible, and timely climate data to inform decision-making and reduce losses from extreme events like floods and droughts.

• The project established a consolidated, quality-controlled meteorological database for climate-sensitive sectors in southern South America, including energy, water, agriculture, livestock, and health. This database is continuously updated and provides data on the intensity and duration of water excess or drought to help determine vulnerability and impacts on human health and agriculture.
• The research network compiled meteorological records from 1961 to the present using 329 weather stations located in central-eastern Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, the east of Paraguay, and the south of Brazil. The project also implemented a regional drought monitoring system focused on soil moisture and yield prediction software for wheat, maize, and soybean crops.
• By integrating the database with yield simulation models, the project achieved accurate yield predictions for 14 localities within the Argentine Pampas region. This analysis of soil moisture and rainless days provides data for estimating insurance indices and highlights the requirement for an improved network of weather stations.
• The project defines 'climate services' as the timely delivery of climate knowledge, data, and information that is useful for the general population and users in climate-sensitive sectors. The initiative utilizes an interdisciplinary approach, combining natural sciences (such as meteorology and hydrology) with social sciences (including anthropology and economics) to ensure scientific achievements align with economic and environmental policy planning.

APA

Hidalgo, C. (n.d.). From climate knowledge to action Towards usable climate science: Informing decisions and provision of climate services to the agriculture and water sectors of southeastern South America. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/CRN3035_PB_EN-_0.pdf

Chicago

Hidalgo, Cecilia. From climate knowledge to action Towards usable climate science: Informing decisions and provision of climate services to the agriculture and water sectors of southeastern South America. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, n.d. https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/CRN3035_PB_EN-_0.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hidalgo |first1=Cecilia |title=From climate knowledge to action Towards usable climate science: Informing decisions and provision of climate services to the agriculture and water sectors of southeastern South America |publisher=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |url=https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/CRN3035_PB_EN-_0.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hidalgondfrom, author = {Hidalgo, Cecilia}, title = {{From climate knowledge to action Towards usable climate science: Informing decisions and provision of climate services to the agriculture and water sectors of southeastern South America}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, url = {https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/CRN3035_PB_EN-_0.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }