Web-based Climate Visualization Platforms: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract: Adaptation to climate change is becoming an pertinent issue, as climate change mitigation options have not been implemented to asufficient degree.  The impacts of climate change will have to be dealt with by various stakeholders including the insurance industry and homeowners.  These stakeholders, also including the scientific community, need to work together in order to distribute climate change information in a manner that enables homeowners to become part of the climate change discussion.  This study discusses the use of web-based climate visualization platforms and the perception of the users of these platforms through focus group studies.    By analyzing six web-based climate visualizations through content analysis and then having five focus groups analyze two web-based climate visualization platforms, Caladapt and Plan2Adapt, the study aims to determine how users of web-based climate visualization platforms perceive the platforms, tools and visual representations presented to them and what additional information and components should be included.   The overall analysis determined that adaptation information is not adequately communicated within any of the examined platforms. Rather than vulnerability or adaptation, the effects of climate change were represented as 2D maps and graph visual representations.  Participants found this information to be secondary information since it did not interest or seem relevant to the users.  As homeowners, participants did not want to have to analyze or interpret data rather they wanted usable information that they could apply if they felt it was valid and applied to their situation.  The study presents many aspects that could be applied to future web-based visualization platforms.