Which tool should I use?

Which tool to use depends primarily on:

  • the purpose (which type of output you need), 
  • if you already have access to data (temperature and precipitation data for a point or a grid),
  • your background in climate science.

A summary is provded below to guide you to the right tool. You can also find the tool difficulty level (basic, intermediate and advanced) next to each tool. This rating is based on tool complexity and the level of climate science knowledge needed to understand the information. 

Input data needed?

No.
All indicators are pre-calculated based on climate models (calculated from two well trusted and globally known climate scientific communities: CMIP5 and CORDEX). 
Read more: Production of Climate Indicators

Settings needed to use the tool?

You only need to select a location, a future emission scenario and a future time period. Everything else is pre-selected to provide the best available data for the selected location.

Tool output?

  • A climate overview for a specific site.
  • Possible to sort indicators by magnitude of change and robustness.
  • Maps, graphs and summary texts ready for climate communication (downloadable in PNG-files)
  • Both climate and water indicators for three future time periods (presented as change compared to a historical period).
  • Quality checked data from CMIP and CORDEX climate modelling communities.
Screenshots from the Site-specific Report.

Input data needed?

No.
All indicators are pre-calculated based on climate models (calculated from two well trusted and globally known climate scientific communities: CMIP5 and CORDEX). 
Read more: Production of Climate Indicators

Settings needed to use the tool?

  • You can make detailed selections to analyse all the data available at climateinformation.org 
  • Facts sheets from the Knowledge base support the user with definitions and explanations of basic climate science.

Tool output?

  • Interactive maps and graphs for further analysis.
  • Possible to download PNG-files of graphs.
  • Possible to download data in NetCDF or excel-format for further analysis and local tailoring.
  • Both climate and water indicators for the past (presented in absolute values) and the future (presented as change compared to a historical period).
  • Quality checked data from CMIP and CORDEX climate modelling communities.
Screenshots from the Data Access Platform.
Advanced

Input data needed?

Yes. 
Requires that you insert data yourself (temperature and precipitation data for a point or a grid) for past, present or future climate. 

Settings needed to use the tool?

  • Climpact and R package can be installed on your computer (Windows or Linux) to produce outputs. A web-based version is also available. 
  • You can make detailed settings for indicator calculations.  
  • Previous knowledge in climate science is recommended for correct use and interpretation.

Tool output?

  • Graph plots and csv-files with climate indicators (statistical analysis) for your own point or grid.
  • Climate indicators (not water) for the past, present and future. To produce future indicators you need to have modelled input data.
  • Quality checked by the user of the tool. The quality of the output indicators depends on the quality of the input data. Some quality control functionality is available in the tool. 
Screenshots from the Climpact Tool.

Which climate information should I use?

We propose to use Climate Indicators, which is an aggregate measure of climate change on complex environmental phenomena in terms of trends and variability. The indicators we provide are commonly used and can be applied for impact analysis in many societal sectors. The same water indicators can for example be used for several assessments, such as potential for hydropower in the energy sector, navigation in the transport sector,  city planning in the infrastructure sector, availability of fresh water in the health sector, risks for flooding in the buildings sector, etc.  

Read more about relevant climate indicators in Table 1 of the WMO report Developing the Climate Science Information for Climate Action.

GCF Energy Icon

Energy

GCF Ecosystems Icon

Ecosystems

GCF Building Icon

Buildings

GCF Transport Icon

Transport

GCF Livelihoods Icon

Livelihood

GCF Infrastructure Icon

Infrastructure

GCF Health Icon

Health

GCF Forest Icon

Forest

We provide a large variety of climate indicators through different tools of different complexity and flexibility (see below).

Do you have other questions?

Our knowledge base has answers to many climate-science related questions.