Strengthening existing climate services and prioritising new opportunities for nature-based solutions
Abstract
Abstract Co-production is essential for usable and useful climate services, yet expert-driven, supply-side approaches and limited engagement persist. We investigate the relationship between users’ current climate-service use and desired needs for completely new climate services for nature-based solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa, based on 530 interviews. We found a 39–53% overlap between current use and desired need priorities (Cohen’s Kappa 0.4–0.5, p < 0.0001). Stakeholder type did not predict use–need overlap (rate ratios 0.95–0.99, p > 0.08), though location did (0.88–1.27). Nearly all respondents (96%) reported using or needing climate services, but these services require strengthening through integration of knowledge systems and improvements in accessibility, timeliness, skills, trust, and climate-change literacy. Gaps between current use and desired needs point to priorities for new climate services, including integrated climate-risk information and community and digital sharing channels. Simply asking users what they need may blur the distinction between strengthening existing services and identifying genuinely new needs.
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Authors: Petra B. Holden, Gerald Ngoma, Martine Visser, Leonard K. Amekudzi, Millicent Kwawu, Ebenezer Boahen, Eunice Boruru, Arthur Bostvironnois, Sampson Dordaa, Daniel Esukuku Ekai, Cherie Forbes, Chris Gordon, Glynis Humphrey, Doreen Lartey, Adelina Mensah, Lazaro Mngumi, Jane Wangui Mugo, M. New, Linda Obiero, Gilbert Ouma, Lisa van Aardenne, Ruwani Walawege, Piotr Wolski
Institutions: University of Antananarivo, University of Ghana, University of Cape Town, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ardhi University, University of Nairobi, South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative