ADAPTATION LITERACY
E-LEARNING
Use of the S8 Downscaler (S8DS), a climate downscaling tool to aid climate adaptation planning
March, 2022
The course is aimed at project managers and decision-makers who want to manage the development of climate scenarios for their regions, especially those working for the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process in developing countries. However, it is also useful for other climate adaptation practitioners. It will assist in understanding the strategic/decision-making applications of climate change and scenario planning, climate change downscaling methods and applications, the NAP process, and the usage of the S8 Downscaler to support the NAP process and other climate adaptation priorities.
S8DS is operated by the Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RRC.AP) at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). To gain full access to the tool, please follow the instructions on the RRC.AP website:
http://www.rrcap.ait.ac.th/Pages/s8ds.aspx
Specifically, please email the contact person listed on the above link. In the email, provide the purpose and intended benefits of your S8DS use and request the creation of an S8DS username.
Lesson 1
Climate scenarios and downscaling
Lesson 1 introduces us to key climate change data and how it is used in many sectors to make decisions. It will assist us in comprehending future climate scenarios in relation to the UNFCCC scenarios, as well as learning how climate downscaling is accomplished using the Global Climate Model (GCM) and Regional Climate Model (RCM) as climate projection tools. The lesson also discusses different techniques such as statistical and dynamical downscaling, and concludes with a discussion of some of the climate downscaling limitations and uncertainties, encouraging an interest in carefully interpreting and using the climate data.
Lesson 2
Understanding and operation of S8 Downscaler
Lesson 2 introduces the S8 downscaling tool with its basic features, technical specifications, and access information among others. It demonstrates the use of the tool along with developing a sample simulation module and interpreting it. This lession introduces all the benefits of using the S8 downscaler for adaptation planning purposes.
Lesson 3
Using the S8 downscaler in the National Adaptation Planning (NAP) process
Lesson 3 presents the National Adaptation Planning (NAP) process, describing the many parts and stages involved in developing a NAP using the example of Thailand’s NAP process. It demonstrates how the S8 downscaler can support each step of the NAP development process and be applied to other climate adaptation planning activities. Some of the funding sources for the NAP are also introduced.
