The globe’s climate is varying and changing unequivocally. Nothing we do today will curb many significant transformations heralded by 2050. There is no uncertainty about this or the fact that there will be human consequences. Communities must be prepared to face the challenges of these consequences. Humanitarian and international development leaders must be equipped to assist the most vulnerable communities. Climate science generators must be aware of the crucial role they play in helping humanitarian decision makers process the most urgent information. In this report, we refer to climate science as any field that produces primary data reflecting dimensions of the physical climate, and the humanitarian community as actors whose mandate it is to save lives from physical events or processes (commonly referred to as disasters) as well as from complex (political) crises.
This report aims to synthesize the wealth of climate information specifically linked to consequences across the globe that require the attention of the humanitarian community. To do so, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) employs two main methods. First, an electronic survey was organized to capture the main differences in understanding and requirements between two sectors: those generating climate information and those using it to humanitarian ends. Secondly, over 200 peer-reviewed documents and gray literature were carefully canvassed and their findings mapped in a manner that may be useful to humanitarian actors, while highlighting ways the climate communities may put science to the service of society.
