Projects Cluster ClimateBridge
Sunset over a rural community in the Brazilian Amazon | image: Carlos Tello, GERICS/Hereon
The cluster ClimateBridge brings together two complementary projects in order to co-develop and co-validate locally relevant yet transferable climate-decision tools for Harburg and the Amazon:
Project Climate Connect
Focuses on data processing and the iterative co-development of user-friendly digital tools to support inclusive decision-making for climate-resilient development. The work will start in the Harburg region (Germany) and, in a second stage, be adapted to the Brazilian Amazon.
BeChange
Uses participatory methods such as backcasting to identify desirable climate futures and to integrate local knowledge into co-created climate-service prototypes for rural smallholder producers. The approach will first be applied in the Brazilian Amazon and then adapted to the Harburg region.
Background
Connecting Brazil and Germany, the ClimateBridge cluster co-develops easy-to-use digital tools that turn complex climate data into practical guidance for communities in land use and agriculture. Grounded in local knowledge derived from futures proposed by local populations, and combined with scientific evidence and cross-continental exchange, the cluster supports inclusive, climate-resilient planning, from the forests of the Amazon to the fields of Harburg.
Though Harburg and the Amazon differ in many aspects, both regions face similar pressures: land-use conflicts, biodiversity loss, and growing climate extremes. For instance, limited access to actionable climate information is a barrier in both regions. Therefore, by sharing data, methods, and lessons learned, the projects will co-create locally relevant yet transferable tools. Insights from ClimateConnect will shape adaptations for the Amazon, while BeChange behavioural research will inform implementation in Harburg, making each project stronger through collaboration.
Cluster coordination:
Dr. María Máñez Costa, Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS)