Evidence review: options analysis for a regional climate change programme to deliver more effective climate services, early warning and disaster risk reduction
The review covers South Asia
Abstract
DFID is seeking to understand the state of climate information and services in South Asia, and considering possible intervention options aimed at strengthening the gathering, use and application of weather and climate information across the region for better decision making and responses around weather and climate risks. This scoping work aims to identify where DFID could build on other relevant initiatives globally and regionally, providing a step change in the use of climate information to support poverty reduction and promote socio-economic development, with a particular focus on protecting poor and vulnerable communities, especially women and girls. Proposed options will be orientated by the range of interests, needs and demands from across the DFID Asia Regional Team’s core countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh), Burma and South East Asia (where there is a strong case for doing so). Likewise, the options will focus on where the opportunities (i.e. best returns) are greatest for DFID to engage on: (i) information delivery (ii) communications (iii) regional coordination/cooperation (iv) decision making/responses.
This report provides a literature review of the current state of climate services in South Asia, user needs, and current and future capacity to produce and deliver timely, accurate and relevant climate information and services. The evidence review focuses on climate services in the five sectors that align with the priority areas identified under the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS 2015). Primarily, food security and agriculture, water and disaster risk reduction, followed to a lesser extent by energy and health. Supplementary evidence was gathered during telephone and email consultations with DFID regional and country teams, users of climate information, climate service providers, academic institutions, government departments and ministries, private sector entities, NGOs, UN agencies, development banks, bilateral and multilateral organisations, regional and inter-governmental agencies and others.
Based on an assessment of major gaps and opportunities, the report sets out a preliminary prioritisation of intervention options for the proposed regional programme. This prioritisation was carried out at the request of DFID and will be further tested and explored with stakeholders during the workshops and consultations to take place during the subsequent phase of this scoping study. [See the Stakeholder analysis]
This report has been produced by Practical Action and the UK Met Office for Evidence on Demand with the assistance of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) contracted through the Climate, Environment, Infrastructure and Livelihoods Professional Evidence and Applied Knowledge Services (CEIL PEAKS) programme, jointly managed by DAI (which incorporates HTSPE Limited) and IMC Worldwide Limited.
Citation
Vellingiri, G.; Prasad, K.; Wade, S.; Lumbroso, D.; Oakley, T.; Viswanathan, K.R.; Dugar, S.; Dashora, L.; Sogani, R.; Joshi, M.; Fakhruddin, S.H.M.; Hanif, M.; Clements, R. Evidence review: options analysis for a regional climate change programme to deliver more effective climate services, early warning and disaster risk reduction. Evidence on Demand, UK (2015) vi + 159 pp. [DOI: 10.12774/eod_cr.june2015.vellingirigetal]
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