climateinformed

Climateinformed is an adjective used to describe decisions, policies, programs, and actions that incorporate climate information—such as observed trends, near-term projections, and long-term scenarios—into planning and operations. The term is commonly applied across sectors that face climate-related risks, including urban and regional planning, water resources, agriculture, health, infrastructure, finance, and ecosystem management.

In practice, climateinformed decision making involves gathering and analyzing climate data from climate services and research sources, conducting risk assessments, and using scenario planning to explore multiple possible futures. It often includes stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and the development of decision-support tools that translate scientific projections into actionable options. The aim is to improve resilience, guide investments, and reduce vulnerability to climate impacts such as heat, drought, flooding, and extreme events.

Methods and tools frequently associated with climateinformed work include downscaled climate projections, risk dashboards, vulnerability and impact assessments, adaptation planning frameworks, and monitoring and evaluation systems. These components help compare alternatives, quantify potential losses, and align resources with projected climate risks over short and long time horizons.

Challenges to widespread adoption include uncertainty in projections, data gaps in some regions, limited technical capacity, funding constraints, and governance barriers. Proponents argue that climateinformed approaches lead to more robust, adaptive outcomes by ensuring that climate risks are explicitly considered in decisions.

See also: climate resilience, climate adaptation, climate services, risk management, adaptation planning.