Information for Climate Change Adaptation: South Asia Regional Workshop

Ideally, adaptation information will be tailored to meet the needs of information “users” - policy-makers, project developers, planners, and others who need a sound evidence base for making adaptation-related decisions and implementing adaptation initiatives. However, in many cases, information is “supply-driven” - shaped in large part by researchers and the limited data available to them - and often is challenging for users to access, understand, and apply. To support effective adaptation over the long term, systems in South Asia for producing, managing, using, disseminating and learning from information may need adjustment, and increased capacities.

This regional workshop, convened by the World Resources Institute and Development Alternatives, with support from the UK Department for International Development, was aimed at informing new investments in the information systems for climate adaptation in the region. Participants worked to identify priorities for investment, opportunities for improving information use, and mechanisms for deepening dialogue between information users and producers in South Asia. Specifically, the workshop explored the following questions:

1. Improving Information: Can we identify a core body of critical information that many users will want for adaptation decision-making? How can we ensure that this “must have” information exists in South Asia and is made available to decision makers?
2. Coping with Imperfect Information: Knowing that improvements in information may take some time, how can decision-makers best leverage existing information? Which approaches to adaptation best help them avoid delaying action?