Too much, yet not enough? Assessing climate tool users’ perceptions, needs and access constraints

This study investigates the role of climate information tools in promoting awareness of climate risks and facilitating comprehension of long-term climatic changes. Focusing on the needs of a variety of user groups like decision-makers, educators and the general public, it addresses the demand for re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Regional environmental change 2025-03, Vol.25 (1), p.6
Main Authors: Hoy, Andreas, Swartling, Åsa Gerger, Ustrnul, Zbigniew, Wypych, Agnieszka, Nevmerzhytska, Anastasiia V., Leander, Elin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Climate Change
Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts
Climate science
Decision making
Earth and Environmental Science
Environment
Environmental assessment
Environmental risk
Geography
Language
Nature Conservation
Oceanography
Original Article
Precipitation
Real time
Regional/Spatial Science
Scientific visualization
Trends
User groups
User needs
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Summary:This study investigates the role of climate information tools in promoting awareness of climate risks and facilitating comprehension of long-term climatic changes. Focusing on the needs of a variety of user groups like decision-makers, educators and the general public, it addresses the demand for reliable, tailored and comprehensible climate information. A cross-national survey involving 343 users in five countries (Estonia, Germany, Poland, Sweden and Ukraine) elucidates the varied skills, qualifications and preferences of users regarding data visualisation, information depth and language. The findings underscore that users have limited awareness of existing climate information tools and that they prefer information accessibility in native languages, revealing the significance of bridging language gaps, particularly in Eastern Europe. User-friendly tools are highlighted as essential, as complexity may deter non-experts. The study concludes by emphasising the need to enhance climate information availability and presentation, as well as the importance of collaboration and co-development efforts to overcome language barriers and link real-time weather events with long-term climatic trends. Overall, the research underscores the demand for adaptable, user-friendly climate information tools, offering valuable insights for mitigating climate risks and supporting adaptation efforts.
ISSN:1436-3798
1436-378X
DOI:10.1007/s10113-024-02338-w