Towards User-Centred Climate Services: the Role of Human-Computer Interaction

Climate services are systems that provide climate and climate-related information to inform decision making around the world. Despite these systems featuring diverse interactions between technologies and a variety of user groups, and frequent calls in the literature for more a more user-centred focus, HCI researchers do not appear to have engaged much with this active research area. In this paper, we demonstrate this lack of interaction via a systematic literature search and offer possible explanations for this. We also map out opportunities for how HCI researchers can use their highly relevant skillsets to contribute to this research and aid climate change adaptation, notably around the user-facing elements of climate services. Finally, we offer some reasons why HCI researchers might want to engage, such as furthering existing HCI research avenues, and creating new ones through collaborations with researchers in disciplines such as climate science, development, and policy.