There are important ways in which emerging science can directly improve the prevention, preparedness and response capacities of humanitarian and development organisations, but there remain significant constraints to enabling the dialogue necessary for such a process. Current constraints to the practical application of climate science are a case in point. While there are instances where components of climate science have been effectively trialled, learning from such pilots is not often successfully shared beyond the specific application.

With the aim of strengthening collaborative dialogue about the types of climate information required for humanitarian and development planning, the Humanitarian Futures Programme supported a series of pilot exchanges in 2009 between scientists from the universities of Exeter, Liverpool, London and Oxford and the Met Office Hadley Centre, and the humanitarian organizations: CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam and Save the Children UK. The exchange group has now developed a proposal to extend the exchange in time, location, partnership and scope, proposing to undertake a series of studies to demonstrate how climate science can effectively inform humanitarian and developing planning.

Please click here to go to the Futures Group page of our website and for further information on the Exchange programme and to download the associated reports.