Question Five: How Can Information for Adaptation Decision Making Be Collected and Disseminated?

This briefing from the World Resources Institute introduces a series of expert papers focused on innovative methods for collecting and distributing climate adaptation information. It emphasizes that the mere existence of data is insufficient; information must be analyzed and disseminated in formats that are accessible and relevant to both government decision-makers and affected local communities to effectively integrate climate risks into policies.

• Effective climate adaptation requires information systems that facilitate bidirectional transfer of data between national and local levels, ensuring that information serves both government decision makers and affected local communities.
• The increasing intensity and variability of climate change necessitate the continuous updating of adaptation information over long periods, as well as the collection of previously uncollected data types. This expansion of scope and scale requires sustained political will, community buy-in, and the development of institutions and incentives to handle rapid information collection during climate-related surprises.
• Information must be translated into relevant and timely formats to be useful for end-users; for instance, raw historical rainfall data is less useful to a farmer in the Sahel than specific forewarnings about future rainfall and yield impacts. Innovative distribution methods are required to reach marginalized groups, such as using cell phone text messages for rural communities in developing countries who cannot access online clearinghouses.
• Because the collection and dissemination of adaptation data is a massive undertaking, incentives are necessary at the local level to ensure the ongoing provision and delivery of accurate data across different communities and governance levels.

APA

World Resources Institute (2010). Question Five: How Can Information for Adaptation Decision Making Be Collected and Disseminated? https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-02/wrr-2010-11-question-5.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Question Five: How Can Information for Adaptation Decision Making Be Collected and Disseminated? 2010. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-02/wrr-2010-11-question-5.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Question Five: How Can Information for Adaptation Decision Making Be Collected and Disseminated? |date=2010 |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-02/wrr-2010-11-question-5.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2010question, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Question Five: How Can Information for Adaptation Decision Making Be Collected and Disseminated?}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2010}, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-02/wrr-2010-11-question-5.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }