Advancing QUAlity of CLimate services for European Water – AQUACLEW

The overall goal of AQUACLEW is to use innovative research techniques and integrated co-development with users to advance the quality, and usability of climate services that provide climate change information to water related sectors. Data and information in present climate services reflect high uncertainties and low resolution, which is difficult to use in practical climate adaptation work. AQUACLEW will therefore work to improve confidence and site specific information by better tailoring climate data and adaptation knowledge. In AQUACLEW, we not only co-develop the climate service with users, we also co-develop the research requirements, the service interfaces and the guidance tools. By integrating users and researchers throughout the climate service production chain, the quality, usability and user uptake of climate services for water will be improved. Data providers and researchers will more fully understand user needs and users will be updated on the latest scientific knowledge; better understand potentials or limitations of the data, and can influence (choose between) assumptions made in each step when producing the service output. In AQUACLEW we aim to produce research that will be transferable to improve climate services everywhere. During the project we will develop regional, national and pan-European climate services together with some 30 users to be evaluated in 7 real-world climate adaptation case studies across Europe. These cover a diverse array of water affected sectors, i.e. (i) flash flood risks in pre-alpine regions, (ii) flash flood risks in urban areas (iii) drought and water resource allocation for industry, tourism, agriculture and energy, (iv) hydropower production, (v) biodiversity decline, (vi) agricultural production and (vii) sediment transport and coastal erosion. Project results will be quantified by comparing climate service usability and economic cost of adaptation studies for these case studies before and after the project.