Reassessing climate information and services: Part 2

Several organizations have been providing climate information and services to the public and private sectors for years. As the awareness of climate impacts increases, as new data are collected, and as technology expands, are the users' needs still being met? In order to answer this question, direct communication with the user by means of a questionnaire was preformed to identify user groups, types of data being requested by each group, user satisfaction, and potential areas of improvement. The primary user groups included those in the agribusiness, legal, insurance, and engineering professions. The most common type of data requested consisted of measured data such as temperatures, precipitation, and winds. Users were satisfied with current services but did mention areas of concern. To ensure user satisfaction, it is important to communicate with users and assess needs and satisfaction on an on-going basis.