Integrating community perceptions with climate data

𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀. In a recent article for the #VisionCarto blog, I explored how combining #objectivedata (from sensors, GPS, etc.) with #citizenknowledge (the lived experiences and knowledge of residents) leads to a more accurate and inclusive understanding of cities. For example, in my thesis (see the shared picture), I compared Vienna Municipality’s climate analysis (2020) with residents’ temperature perceptions. While Area 1 is classified as a "moderate warming" zone, locals describe it as “cold.” In contrast, Area 2, also labeled "moderate warming," is perceived as “warm” or “hot.” This highlights the vital role of citizen input in bridging the gap between data and lived reality. You can find the article in English and French at the VisionCarto Blog: https://lnkd.in/duU6bJ4n https://lnkd.in/d59ac62a Thanks Philippe Rekacewicz for the opportunity and help :)

Linking community-based monitoring (CBM) with national REDD+ MRV systems is critical for integrating local knowledge, enhancing data quality, and ensuring sustainability of emissions reporting. This paper presents a conceptual framework and technical strategies to align community-generated data with national monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) mechanisms for REDD+. It builds on experiences from multiple countries and highlights how CBM can reduce costs, improve accuracy, and foster ownership. The document presents the main contributions and structural components of CBM in MRV systems: – Justification for CBM as a complementary and cost-effective source of forest monitoring data – Types of forest change that communities can track: deforestation, degradation, reforestation, fuelwood use – Comparative analysis of data quality from CBM vs. remote sensing and professional inventories – Strategies to standardize CBM protocols and enable national-level data integration and quality control – Technological tools for community data collection, including GPS, smartphones, and digital forms – Design of national systems to process, validate, and report CBM data for international emissions reporting – Policy recommendations for harmonizing local monitoring with national REDD+ reference levels and safeguards The paper emphasizes that with appropriate support and consistent methodologies, communities can effectively contribute to REDD+ monitoring. Their involvement provides near-real-time data, helps identify drivers of change, and ensures that REDD+ implementation respects local contexts. For successful integration, national systems must invest in training, infrastructure, and open data exchange mechanisms. This co-production of knowledge enhances transparency, strengthens carbon accounting, and fosters equitable REDD+ governance.

Can we leverage indigenous knowledge amid climate change disasters? The article explores the integration of indigenous knowledge with modern climate data for proactive disaster risk reduction. It highlights challenges like accuracy and lead time in indigenous systems but emphasises their local relevance. Proposing triangulation with contemporary data, it advocates for collaborative approaches to enhance effectiveness in climate information frameworks.

✋ Read the guidebook from Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) - How to develop a risk and vulnerability assessment 🌍 The Covenant of Mayors Guidebook, developed by the European Commission Joint Research Centre, offers step-by-step guidance for municipalities to design effective Risk and Vulnerability Assessments (RVAs) – a foundation for local climate adaptation planning 🔎 Key Highlights 📖 Grounded in science & practice – Aligned with the IPCC framework, RVAs merge scientific data with local knowledge to map climate risks 🏙️ Local focus – Municipalities assess climate hazards, exposure, and vulnerabilities across people, infrastructure, and ecosystems. 🛠️ Practical tools – Provides methods for hazard identification, risk matrices, vulnerability mapping, and adaptive capacity analysis 🤝 Collaborative approach – Stresses team building, stakeholder engagement, and participatory methods to strengthen ownership and trust 🎯 Action-oriented outcomes – Supports setting adaptation goals, prioritising actions, and embedding them in Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs). 🔄 Continuous improvement – Encourages monitoring, iterative learning, and integration with broader EU adaptation strategies. 💡By combining data-driven insights with community engagement, RVAs empower cities to turn climate risks into opportunities for resilience and sustainable growth. 👉 How do you think local governments can best balance technical analysis with community-driven knowledge in climate risk planning? #ClimateAction #Resilience #Adaptation #SustainableCities #RiskManagement #ClimateChange

I'm excited to share my latest blog post where I delve into how NOAA's innovative heat mapping program is transforming our approach to extreme heat waves—one of the deadliest and most widespread threats posed by climate change. 🌡️🔥 As climate change intensifies, protecting vulnerable populations from extreme heat isn't just about better weather forecasting—it's about building resilient communities through adaptive social protection (ASP). Last month, I explored how Google and GiveDirectly are using AI to trigger pre-emptive cash transfers before disasters strike. Today, I examine another crucial piece of the anticipatory action puzzle. In this post, I discuss: Community-Driven Data Collection: How NOAA's program empowers community scientists to collect temperature data, creating a bridge between technical monitoring and local knowledge. In 2023 alone, 942 community scientists collected over one million measurements across 19 U.S. communities! Transforming Data into Social Protection Tools: Using AI to analyze ground-level measurements, satellite imagery, and historical weather patterns to create risk-informed targeting. This helps identify not just where temperatures are highest, but which communities are most vulnerable and least equipped to cope with extreme heat. Implementing Adaptive Social Protection: How cities are moving beyond reactive emergency responses to integrate preparedness, coping, and adaptation strategies. For example, Washington D.C. used heat mapping to create a system that combines immediate responses like cooling centers with long-term resilience building. Scaling Adaptive Heat Protection: The launch of NOAA's new Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring in 2025, which aims to expand adaptive social protection beyond urban centers by offering stipends to help new communities implement mapping programs. For regions facing intensifying heat waves—from South Asia to Latin America—this marriage of technological innovation and social protection offers crucial lessons for building climate resilience starting at the neighborhood level. 👉 Join the discussion at AidGPT.org and share your insights! Read the full blog here https://lnkd.in/e6xBnVK8 Let's collaborate to transform humanitarian aid and development assistance through the power of AI and community engagement. #ClimateChange #AdaptiveSocialProtection #NOAA #HeatMapping #AI #CommunityResilience #AnticipatoryAction #ClimateResilience #CommunityEngagement