Current needs for climate services in West Africa: Results from two stakeholder surveys

• DOI: 10.1016/j.cliser.2020.100166
• Publication Date: 2020-03-17T16:45:45Z
• Authors: B. Sultan; Q. Lejeune; I. Menke; G. Maskell; K. Lee; M. Noblet; I. Sy; P. Roudier
• Keywords: Information needs

Climate services have been criticised in the past for their tendency to only disseminate results from climate research, rather than seek understand and tailor needs of target audiences. Two surveys conducted within two projects, ISIpedia CLIMAP, assess users' impacts information all countries (with a foremost focus on West Africa) Senegal. The joint analysis showed that climate-impact is very relevant African respondents' activities but number barriers prevent existing fully fulfilling role they could play this respect. Consistently across both surveys, respondents highlighted irrelevance or incompleteness current provide, which mostly related lack high-resolution high uncertainties, as biggest barriers. Both training provided also an important barrier, calls organisation capacity-building ensure uptake by Overall, survey responses demonstrated importance stakeholder engagement usefulness Africa. In addition, appropriate integration national contexts well dissemination ecosystem portals products appear be essential effectiveness.