Decision Making in a Changing Climate

This briefing from the World Resources Institute explores the role of development agencies in supporting national-level decision-making processes for climate change adaptation in vulnerable countries. It argues that the design of these decision-making processes is a key determinant of a country's ability to manage climate risks and achieve global anti-poverty objectives.

• Climate change threatens to undermine current progress in the developing world and the achievement of global anti-poverty goals, such as the Millennium Development Goals. Vulnerability is highest in poor countries, and the design of decision-making processes to integrate climate risks will determine whether a country mitigates or exacerbates these impacts.
• Climate change will impact several key sectors, specifically agriculture, electricity production, coastal zone management, and water and forest management. Failure to account for future climate risks in the near term may render previous investments obsolete and past expenditures less effective.
• Effective decision-making processes for a changing climate must possess four specific characteristics: they must be proactive to meet objectives despite changes that may not manifest for decades; robust to handle a range of impact scenarios given uncertainty; responsive and flexible to adjust to unforeseeable surprises; and durable due to the magnitude and long-lasting nature of impacts.
• Development agencies, including multilateral development banks and bilateral and multilateral donors, are expected to play a major role in supporting national decision-making. This includes assisting with institutional strengthening in drought-prone areas, preparing for the transition of non-viable sectors, creating mechanisms for climate-related surprises (such as non-native pest migration), and managing uncertainty regarding precipitation changes.

APA

World Resources Institute (2010). Decision Making in a Changing Climate. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-3.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Decision Making in a Changing Climate. 2010. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Decision Making in a Changing Climate |date=2010 |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-3.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2010decision, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Decision Making in a Changing Climate}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2010}, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }