The winner of the JPI Climate Excellence Award for Social Impact 2021

The winner of the JPI Climate Excellence Award for Social Impact 2021 is CLIMAX project funded by the JPI Climate and the Belmont Forum under the 2015 Call for Climate Services Collaborative Research action on Climate Predictability and Inter-regional Linkages.

JPI Climate presents its first iteration of this award to CLIMAX, for the outstanding social impact it has created. The Excellence Award for Social Impact showcases research projects funded by JPI Climate for their extraordinary contributions to behavioral changes and real-world impacts.

CLIMAX has built an interdisciplinary and intersectoral network to underpin climate services in South America, integrating scientific and local knowledge. The co-developed knowledge permeated local schools, agricultural producers organizations, and media outlets. The success of this European-South American research cooperation in Argentina has encouraged the regional government to scale up the climate services provided by CLIMAX. Furthermore, the project has been used by producers to generate management strategies. Local authorities also relied on the project to help manage the water emergency during severe floods and extensive droughts. CLIMAX knowledge co-production approach that has begun to be disseminated in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as regions of the world (Africa, Europe) in order to contribute to the development of scientific engagement towards sustainable societies. When a severe drought took place, authorities relied on the project to help manage the water emergency. The jury looks forward to seeing if the results of CLIMAX have applications in Europe as well.

It is with great pleasure that JPI Climate gives this award to the CLIMAX consortium. For their particular contribution to CLIMAX’ social impact, JPI Climate would like to commend the following members:

Argentina’s National Weather Service
IRD-UNSAM Valeria Hernandez, Florencia Fossa Riglos, Pascale Phelinas and Nahuel Spinoso
UMI/IFAECI Carolina Vera, Federico Robledo, Marisol Osman, Leandro Diaz, Mariano Alvarez, Alfredo Rolla and María Ines Ortíz de Zárate
EFA nº 68 Cancha Larga Principal Silvina Masat, teachers, students and agricultural families in the school
Consorcio de Servicios Rurales numéro 9 (Chaco Province) Pte. Abel Figueroa and family farmers
INTA AER-Las Palmas Lucia Famin and Jorge Vagabculow
FM Frontera (90.1 FM, Chaco)
Grupo La Voz Qom
Mercado Campesino de La Leonesa (Chaco)
Instituto Terciario de Gestion Agropecuaria EPGS nº4 (paraje Florodora, Chaco)

Climax received funding from JPI Climate and the Belmont Forum under the 2015 Call for Climate Services Collaborative Research action on Climate Predictability and Inter-regional Linkages. In recognition for their work, the recipients are invited to deliver a keynote speech at the JPI Climate’s next Climate Scoping Forum Symposium.

Honorable mentions go to the research projects CoCliServ and SENSES, which are the runners-up for this year’s Excellence Award for Social Impact. JPI Climate would like to thank all the researchers who submitted their projects for this award, as well as the members of the jury.