Words Matter: Using Language Technology to Better Inform Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Communities

This policy brief argues that the climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction communities suffer from knowledge gaps caused by poor communication and the inability to locate existing information, rather than a lack of knowledge itself. The authors propose the development of a climate change "translator" and the adoption of more considered knowledge-sharing practices using available language technologies to reduce redundancies and improve collaboration.

• The authors propose the creation of a climate change "translator" to facilitate improved communication between the climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction communities.
• Existing knowledge gaps in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction are often the result of an inability to find relevant information rather than a genuine lack of knowledge. This failure to locate information leads to redundancies, hinders collaboration, and creates uncertainty regarding ongoing work and its locations.
• Despite the potential of the Information Age, critical knowledge remains undiscovered across various internet locations, such as institutional websites and research databases. The authors argue that utilizing current technologies and improving communication and knowledge-sharing practices are necessary to unlock the full potential of this information.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2018). Words Matter: Using Language Technology to Better Inform Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Communities. https://www.sei.org/publications/words-matter-using-language-technology-better-inform-climate-change-adaptation-disaster-risk-reduction-communities/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Words Matter: Using Language Technology to Better Inform Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Communities. 2018. https://www.sei.org/publications/words-matter-using-language-technology-better-inform-climate-change-adaptation-disaster-risk-reduction-communities/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Words Matter: Using Language Technology to Better Inform Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Communities |date=31 January 2018 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/words-matter-using-language-technology-better-inform-climate-change-adaptation-disaster-risk-reduction-communities/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2018words, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Words Matter: Using Language Technology to Better Inform Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Communities}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2018}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/words-matter-using-language-technology-better-inform-climate-change-adaptation-disaster-risk-reduction-communities/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }