Climate information scoping study

Background

This scoping study will contribute to CCAFS’ strategy to identify and support innovations in the management of current climate risks at local programmatic and policy levels. The project will assess food security information systems globally, and in key countries, as well as consider in what ways climatic information is currently integrated within early warning, surveillance systems and market information systems. It will also document how governments and donor agencies interpret and use such information, and how they monitor the impacts of their decisions and actions. Looking forward, this study seeks to identify opportunities for innovation, emerging trends and developments, which may enhance the use of information to drive food security decision-making.

Objectives

• Assess the key issues relevant to the management of climate information impacting on household food security in the tropics
• Identify current key institutions, individuals and processes which influence how aid response decisions are made, particularly in the fields of food aid and food security
• Identify and assess existing (and planned) information systems and databases that offer relevant (but often under-utilized and poorly integrated) data linking all 5 aspects of food insecurity (availability, access, utilization, uncertainty, and food security relief and other responses)
• Document how information is used; that is, what information systems focus on humanitarian and development responses to food insecurity (food-based relief and other resources), and how institutions use such information
• Describe the current trends in response decision processes, and potential changes in decision processes that might benefit from improved advance information. This will be complemented by an examination of present systems and their potential for change

Activities

• Identify availability and utility of existing food security data, from a variety of organizations, at multiple scales, for 5 main areas relating to food security (availability, access, utilization, uncertainty, food security relief and other responses
• Identify and map key institutions, individuals and processes which influence how aid response decisions are made
• Consult with key experts on indicators, their uses, limitations and tradeoffs
• Explore how debate on design and implementation of humanitarian action incorporates attention to climate variability/change data, and how information systems on impact of humanitarian action could feed into databases on food security trends
• Explore opportunities for new and future developments, as well as major knowledge and data gaps

Outputs

• Final report with specific recommendations on areas for research focus, strategic wins for CCAFS investment, data sources to be tapped into and potentially enhanced, and institutional collaborations to be explored

Partners

Tufts University

Timeframe

2010-2011

Scope/Location

Global