Climate Change Adaptation Information Platform (A-PLAT)

Platform summary

The Climate Change Adaptation Information Platform (A-PLAT) is a one-stop online resource hub that provides centralized information related to the climate change impacts and adaptation in Japan. It aims to support local governments, businesses, and individuals in their efforts to elaborate adaptation responses to climate change. It does so by collecting and arranging scientific knowledge (observation data, climate predictions, and impact predictions), and promoting information sharing among stakeholders.

In cooperation with relevant ministries and agencies, it provides information for meeting users’ needs; develops and furnishes tools to promote adaptation actions; and collects, organizes, and provides the best practices.

Host Organisation: This platform is funded and operated by the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES)

Launch date: A-PLAT was launched in 2016

Update status: The platform was last updated in May 2021

Funding: A-PLAT was launched with a budget of 5 million JPY (approximately €38,500). A-PLAT and the Asia-Pacific Adaptation Information Platform (AP-PLAT) are managed by NIES with the annual budget of approximately 290,000,000 JPY (€2,175,000)

Team: The A-PLAT and AP-PLAT team consists of approximately 40 people

Main functions:

• Raising awareness on the need for climate change adaptation
• Providing guidance on how to undertake adaptation
• Providing quantitative data for adaptation decision-making
• Providing decision-support tools for adaptation decision-making
• Providing a support (e.g. help desk) service
• Sharing adaptation solutions and case studies
• Sharing scientific literature and research on adaptation

Intended audiences:

• National-level decision makers / national government
• City and regional-level decision-makers / local government
• Communities / general public
• Private sector / businesses
• Research community
• Civil society (NGO / charities)

Focus sectors for the platform:

• Health
• Agriculture
• Oceans / Fisheries
• Forests and other ecosystems
• Transport
• Infrastructure / built environment
• Trade
• Finance / insurance
• Disaster risk

Why the platform was established

After the formulation of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), the Ministry of the Environment (MoEJ) and NIES agreed to develop an information platform to disseminate and promote adaptation actions.