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Understanding and enhancing climate information use in water management

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  • Christine Kirchhoff

Abstract

This paper expands our understanding of water manager's climate information (CI) use and of the effectiveness of interactive research efforts in improving use by quantitatively measuring usability both within and outside the interactive research model. Using a mixed method approach (i.e., interviews and surveys), data was collected across five states and hundreds of water managers to understand the production of CI by scientists at two Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISAs) employing an interactive approach and the use of that information by water managers in the corresponding RISA regions. This study finds that RISAs are effective in three important ways: first, in co-producing usable information and achieving a high rate of information use among RISA clients; second, in overcoming barriers to information use arising from negative perceptions about the usability and reliability of CI; and, finally, in fostering innovation. RISA information use is contingent on sustained scientist-client interaction and is enabled by users' willingness and capacity making RISAs most effective in reaching the largest, most capable users. These users and those who use CI from other sources do so as a strategy to manage risk. This research suggests areas for enhancing RISA CI uptake: structuring RISAs as consortia, cultivating relationships with knowledge brokers and capitalizing on existing knowledge networks, and increasing public education and outreach. Beyond the interactive research models, findings suggest CI uptake may be enhanced by building capabilities for long-term water planning at water systems and bolstering public science citizenship and climate literacy. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Christine Kirchhoff, 2013. "Understanding and enhancing climate information use in water management," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 119(2), pages 495-509, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:climat:v:119:y:2013:i:2:p:495-509
    DOI: 10.1007/s10584-013-0703-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yarnal, Brent & Heasley, Amy L. & O'Connor, Robert E. & Dow, Kirstin & Jocoy, Christine L., 2006. "The potential use of climate forecasts by community water system managers," Land Use and Water Resources Research, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Centre for Land Use and Water Resources Research, vol. 6, pages 1-8.
    2. Wossenu Abtew & Paul Trimble, 2010. "El Niño–Southern Oscillation Link to South Florida Hydrology and Water Management Applications," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 24(15), pages 4255-4271, December.
    3. Maria Carmen Lemos & Christine J. Kirchhoff & Vijay Ramprasad, 2012. "Narrowing the climate information usability gap," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 2(11), pages 789-794, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Katharine Jacobs & James Buizer, 2016. "Building community, credibility and knowledge: the third US National Climate Assessment," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 135(1), pages 9-22, March.
    2. Marta Bruno Soares & Suraje Dessai, 2016. "Barriers and enablers to the use of seasonal climate forecasts amongst organisations in Europe," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 137(1), pages 89-103, July.
    3. Sarah Alexander & Ezana Atsbeha & Selam Negatu & Kristen Kirksey & Dominique Brossard & Elizabeth Holzer & Paul Block, 2020. "Development of an interdisciplinary, multi-method approach to seasonal climate forecast communication at the local scale," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(4), pages 2021-2042, October.
    4. Eileen S. Johnson & Kathleen P. Bell & Jessica E. Leahy, 2018. "Managing the science-policy boundary: implications for river restoration," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 8(3), pages 281-289, September.
    5. Laura Vang Rasmussen & Christine J. Kirchhoff & Maria Carmen Lemos, 2017. "Adaptation by stealth: climate information use in the Great Lakes region across scales," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 140(3), pages 451-465, February.

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