Articles | Volume 19, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-793-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-793-2025
Brief communication
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21 Feb 2025
Brief communication | Highlight paper |  | 21 Feb 2025

Brief communication: Sea-level projections, adaptation planning, and actionable science

William H. Lipscomb, David Behar, and Monica Ainhorn Morrison

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Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • CC1: '"Actionable" for whom, in what decision context?', Robert Kopp, 15 Mar 2024
  • CC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-534', Chris P. Weaver, 18 Mar 2024
    • RC1: 'Reply on CC2', Chris P. Weaver, 09 Apr 2024
  • CC3: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-534 Defining the rules so we know when to break them', Rajashree Datta, 11 Apr 2024
  • AC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-534; reply to Christopher Weaver', William Lipscomb, 29 May 2024
  • AC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-534; reply to Robert Kopp', William Lipscomb, 29 May 2024
    • CC5: 'If the authors reject decision-making under deep uncertainty (DMDU), they must do so through critical engagement with the DMDU literature', Robert Kopp, 01 Jun 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-534', Rebecca Priestley, 30 May 2024
  • RC3: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-534', Anonymous Referee #3, 30 May 2024
  • CC4: 'Literature on science usability and decision making context', Jeremy Bassis, 01 Jun 2024
  • CC6: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-534', Judy Lawrence, 06 Jun 2024
  • AC4: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-534', William Lipscomb, 24 Oct 2024

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
ED: Publish subject to revisions (further review by editor and referees) (10 Oct 2024) by Florence Colleoni
AR by William Lipscomb on behalf of the Authors (24 Oct 2024)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (06 Nov 2024) by Florence Colleoni
RR by Anonymous Referee #3 (06 Nov 2024)
RR by Rebecca Priestley (19 Nov 2024)
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (02 Dec 2024) by Florence Colleoni
AR by William Lipscomb on behalf of the Authors (04 Dec 2024)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (04 Dec 2024) by Florence Colleoni
AR by William Lipscomb on behalf of the Authors (10 Dec 2024)  Manuscript 
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Co-editor-in-chief
For most countries dealing with the consequences of sea-level rise, a constructive discussion about actionable science is critical. There is a need to strengthen the lines of evidence for sea-level projections and at the same time there is a strong need for practitioners to understand which science they should rely on to plan adaptation actions. This manuscript outlines when scientific results may be considered actionable and discusses the risks in using novel results to inform decision-making. The case study discussed in the manuscript is also valid for other climate-change-related fields.
Short summary
As communities try to adapt to climate change, they look for "actionable science" that can inform decision-making. There are risks in relying on novel results that are not yet accepted by the science community. We propose a practical criterion for determining which scientific claims are actionable. We show how premature acceptance of sea-level-rise predictions can lead to confusion and backtracking, and we suggest best practices for communication between scientists and adaptation planners.
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