This post originally appeared in Open Data Watch

Open data about climate change and its impacts are of vital importance to planners in low- and middle-income countries, which are often more vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.  Access to reliable and comprehensive data on climate change is crucial to implementing timely, appropriate, and effective adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Building on experience with the Open Data Inventory, Open Data Watch has developed an Open Climate Data Template (OCDT) that enables finding what datasets on climate change are available and how accessible they are.

By adopting a user perspective, the tool allows policymakers across the National Statistical System (NSS) to diagnose areas of improvement for data availability and openness. Openness in particular is crucial for data on climate change adaptation and resilience as greater openness will build the infrastructure needed to more quickly share and analyze data on the effects of climate change.

For more information, see the links below:

This Summary Brief provides an overview of how the Open Climate Data Template (OCDT) works, including general methodology, how indicators were selected, how availability and openness are assessed, and how it complements other tools.

The Pilot Assessment Analysis examines pilot assessments conducted in six African countries using the Open Climate Data Template (OCDT). The analysis shares results and suggests takeaways for countries in similar geographic and economic groups..

The Open Climate Data Template Workbook is available as a resource for users to conduct the assessment themselves to inform National Strategies for the Development of Statistics (NSDS), National Adaptation Plans or other relevant planning processes.