Well, I see that "climate services" are still in their infancy. I also see, that the "climate services" are missing something like a business plan. Despite the fact that climate service institutions have good goals and are for sure a need for the societies, it seems to me that the organisers and involved scientists in climate services put the cart before the horse.

No enterprise would start such challenges without a proper business plan. Going forward in the way as it is written here in the blog, is only possible as long as the climate service centres are funded directly by governments/taxpayers.

But starting and proceeding only with enthusiasm and activism is not very efficient, and for sure a waste of a lot of money which might be needed elsewhere, e.g. for dissemination, training and development. So I encourage you over there in Brussels really to think more strategically and business minded. Maybe too many people with scientific backgrounds in climate related domains are involved instead of strategic thinking managers. But the right proportion has to be kept: Too many managers will make an enterprise too bureaucratic, but you need them, and currently you need more of them in the service centres.

The term "Climate Services" is indeed a bit misleading. I would think of the services the climate offers for nature and mankind, in analogy to "ecosystem services", which describes the services which ecosystems deliver for mankind.

I read some of the statements in the "3 questions to ..." blog contributions and was a bit shocked about the generally meaningless statements to the question "What has to be done to adapt to climate change in your part of the world?":

"We need to plan ...", "... we need to support studies and surveys ...", "We have to invest in research and development ...", "A climate change policy should be prioritised and adaptation should be mainstreamed into the National Development Strategies and Plans.", "There is need for the government to take climate change as a priority, and allocate resources ...". -- These are air bubbles.

The statements refer to structural problems which are not specific for climate adaption activities. They are general questions of good governance, which are the main problems for progress. Again, I have the feeling that the cart is put before the horse. These are problems which cannot be solved by climate or ecological scientists. There is no need for plans, additional studies, surveys, researches. All this is already there there. Not necessarily in the countries, but somewhere distributed in the world's research institutes and in the scientific literature. The problem is the implementation, and before that, good governance. Do not waste money for every new research projects and studies, invest it in good governance structures and build climate change actions from there.

However, there is another way: Bypass governance and involve the citizens, make climate adaption actions a grassroot movement, a bottom-up approach. Currently, from what I read here, your approach is more or less top-town. For a bottom-up approach, you do not have to invent the wheel anew. There are already plenty of citizens and farmers movements on community levels. Approach them. Or movements like the Network of Climate Journalists in the Greater Horn of Africa. They have influence, they are good communicators, they are earth grounded and have influence on the administrative levels as well as on the community levels.

Only Catherine V. Nnamani from Nigeria seems to be aware that it is necessary to promote participatory methods. Her statement is quite concrete: "Provide safety-landing nets for vulnerable groups ...", "... provide accurate and timely weather forecasting information to farmers in the form and language they will understand ...". That is the way! I propose to listen more to her.

I propose to put a 4th question to the interviewees in order to force them to give concrete answers: "What are you personally doing in order to achieve the goals you proposed in question no 3?".

All the best and success.