NARCliM case studies

Understanding and planning for future climate change requires access to trusted information and tools. But where do you get started? We have built a series of case studies to highlight the journey towards effectively applying the NSW and Australian Regional Climate Modelling (NARCliM) project data for a range of climate adaptation planning and research activities.

Applying NARCliM data

NARCliM brings together globally recognised science and multidisciplinary expertise to deliver world-leading regional climate projections for south-eastern Australia. The local-level information provided by NARCliM is used by state and local government, industry and organisations to plan for the future, and to help our communities, businesses and economy prepare for the various impacts of climate change.

NARCliM data underpin a range of products to meet the needs of different user groups. For example, NARCliM projections are the basis for the information on the AdaptNSW website, the interactive projections map and regional climate snapshots. NARCliM projections are also synthesised in peer-reviewed studies, used as an input for more complex data analysis tools, and are used in their raw form by expert data analysts. The case studies presented here showcase various applications of the data by users with different levels of data expertise.

Helpful terms to know

NARCliM climate model data provides information on both future and past climates.

• Model data on future climates are called ‘projections’. Projections are used to understand plausible future climates. These data are valuable in informing climate risk assessments and research into future climate impacts, as many of these case studies highlight.
• Model data on past climates are called ‘hindcasts’. Hindcasts are mostly used by experienced and expert users to check the suitability of the model for their intended purpose.
• All data produced by a climate model is referred to as ‘climate model data’. This includes both projections and hindcasts.

These case studies focus on the use of NARCliM climate projections.