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Knowledge Brokers are Key to Climate Services, Informing Evidence-Based Implementation of EU Climate and Water Policies

Read about this potent tool to help knowledge brokers in water management to work with stakeholders to co-create solutions to water challenges.
Gerasimos Antzoulatos

Introduction

Climate knowledge brokers such as consultants and other intermediary actors between science, policy and practice, are key to successful development and implementation of EU policies at regional and local level. Policy makers can support growth of this knowledge brokerage market, simultaneously boosting climate resilience, jobs and economy, by helping to sustain the emerging knowledge sharing and learning network.

This report*provides an overview of The Proof of Concept Sectoral Information Service for Water Management in the Copernicus Climate Change Service’s (C3S-SIS) potent new tool to help these knowledge brokers in water management to work with stakeholders to co-create climate-resilient solutions to regional and local water challenges. It makes their work more efficient and effective.

*Download the full report from the right-hand column.

Key Messages

Climate knowledge brokers are key to successful development and implementation of EU policies at regional and local level.

  • Policy makers can support growth of this knowledge brokerage market, simultaneously boosting climate resilience, jobs and economy, by helping to sustain the emerging knowledge sharing and learning network.

The tool provides access to climate impact indicators in tailor-made maps and graphs, accompanied by tutorials on how to use them.

  • Climate service providers in general and climate knowledge brokers in particular are the main target group, but also European and national policy and decision makers can effectively use the tool.

The tool has been developed in practice through 15 case studies in 7 countries.

  • In addition, its learning network and outreach are reaching many water and climate knowledge brokers beyond the project, helping them to increase the quality, relevance and agility of their work.
  • In this way, this C3S contract helps to speed up the implementation of key European Adaptation Strategy goals.

Recommendations

1. Use knowledge purveyors to promote better informed decision-making.

  • This C3S contract not only developed a reliable and fit-for-purpose service, but also built a learning network to help purveyors to bridge the knowledge gap and translate climate impact analysis results for easy use by their clients.

2. Use knowledge purveyors to climate-proof EU action by promoting adaptation in key vulnerable sectors.

  • Decisions taken in many practice cases in which the tool has been used differ in scope or emphasis from what they would have been without using the tool.
  • Wider usage of the tool and participation in the learning network can upscale this development, inform policy development, improve climate response planning and promote new climate service development.
  • It helps to find climate impact and hydrological data and indicators of the highest available quality at the European level, to support water management decisions and implement adaptation policies.

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