weADAPT

SEI launched and now continues to operate what has become one of the world’s leading and longest-running collaborative, online, climate change adaptation knowledge platforms, weADAPT. It is a both knowledge-sharing platform and a learning network of people and organizations on adaptation issues and potential solutions. weADAPT aims to reduce to redundancy, replication, and fragmentation of  information on adaptation to climate change.

To break down information and research silos, weADAPT draws together a wide range of partners to share experience, tools, and case studies. This creates a dynamic community of research, policy, and practice for adaptation needs. People who are part of the weADAPT community are on the adaptation frontier –  learning about the latest state of knowledge on relevant issues and outcomes.

Learning from one another

Established in 2007, weADAPT seeks to accelerate learning, networking and knowledge sharing on climate change adaptation issues – especially for those in “hard-to-reach” areas in the Global South. Many regions face accessibility issues. These issues relate not only to technological challenges, such as bandwidth, but also to the relevance of certain information, or the applicability of certain types of knowledge in different contexts. In other words, content that is “out there somewhere” is often not available in local languages, or provided at the appropriate level of technical detail, or presented in ways that make it relevant to a given, local situation. Thus, weADAPT seeks to extend accessibility to areas   that are often left out of the adaptation conversation, and to regions that are often not able to find the most up-to-date information available to take steps needed to adapt to the impacts of a changing climate.

weADAPT’s vision is to co-create a space  for researchers, planners, practitioners, decision-makers and students to share and access credible, high-quality information. They can also connect and collaborate with peers and networks on climate change adaptation issues and access policy-relevant tools and guidance for adaptation planning and decision-making.

They can – and do – learn from one another.

A rapidly growing community of users

The platform receives over 150 000 unique visits each year from more than 200 countries and territories globally. Its network encompasses more than 6000 registered users from more than 3000 organizations. These include think tanks, government ministries, national hydrometeorological services, universities and research institutes, civil society organizations, social enterprises, private-sector businesses, grassroots charities, and INGOs and NGOs.

weADAPT is a regular source of information for university and professional training courses. It hosts Climate Adaptation Training resources.

Features of of weADAPT

On weADAPT, users will find:

• a Map of Case Studies,
• downscaled climate data,
• translation services to provide information in more than 100 different languages,
• access to policy-relevant tools,
• guidance for adaptation planning and decision-making.

Map of Case Studies

The Map of Case Studies is a way to locate who is doing what and where in the field of adaptation to climate variability and change. This tool allows users to geographically explore case studies and projects by key terms or by weADAPT themes or networks.

Downscaled Climate Data

The Map of Case Studies also features downscaled climate data and access to future climate projections, through orange icons on the map. These icons link to data from the Climate Information Portal developed by the Climate System Analysis Group at the University of Cape Town. weADAPT also provides guidance to using this climate information.

Translation Feature

One of weADAPT’S key components for providing global accessibility is an embedded Google Translate feature that allows users to translate any article into more than 100 different languages. This feature is accessed by clicking the globe icon in the top-right corner of the webpage.

Discussion Forums

weADAPT hosts discussion forums that allow users to start conversations on climate adaptation topics. Users can post comments, announcements about events, and other useful information that is relevant to the community. The forums provide a space for users to connect and communicate with each other.

weADAPT Themes

weADAPT has 22 themes covering a wide range of adaptation topics. These are co-edited by a range of people and organizations. (To host your own theme or network, get in touch.) Many themes contain subcategories of important topics. Cross-cutting topics are linked through keywords. Some featured themes are:

1. Climate, Food Security and Agriculture
2. Climate Change Adaptation in Mountains
3. Vulnerability
4. Human Mobility
5. Gender and Social Equality
6. Climate Finance
7. Nature-based Solutions
8. Adaptation Decision Making
9. Using Climate Information

Additional themes and networks are available on the weADAPT website.

What’s new – weADAPT Microsites

weADAPT microsites are a service that allow organizations and networks to build their own bespoke websites at a fraction of the normal cost and in a way that ensures the visibility of knowledge products beyond the lifetime of any project.

These individually customized websites benefit from weADAPT in many ways: through its rich knowledge base, active social media channels, popular newsletter, growing levels of website traffic, and, ultimately, through the connections that allow knowledge products to meaningfully connect to the weADAPT community worldwide.

Additional website benefits include unique website design, branding and URLs as needed. At the same time, these bespoke websites are powered by the same state-of-the-art tools and technology underlying weADAPT.org.

Current weADAPT microsites:

• Adaptation at Altitude project (Zoi Environment Network and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) project (Zoi Environment Network and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation)
• Ouranos’ Energy Adaptation Map
• Islamic Development Bank’s Country Climate Knowledge Hub
• Royal Roads University in Canada’s Inspiring Climate Action: BC Professionals’ Adaptation Network
• weTRANSFORM, which hosts the Centre of Excellence on Transforming Development and Disaster Risk, which hosts the Centre of Excellence on Transforming Development and Disaster Risk
• Adaptation without Borders, which hosts flagship work on transnational climate impacts. This work has been undertaken by SEI, the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI).
• Water Adaptation Community (Global Centre on Adaptation)

weADAPT Social Media

weADAPT features our projects, articles, and features on three social media platforms, each hosting several thousand followers as well as in our newsletter (subscribe here). Check them out:

weADAPT on: Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter