The study, released in the scientific journal Bulletin for the American Meteorological Society, states that investments that are made today can result to as much as 10-20 percent progress in climate forecasts for the UK and Europe in the approaching decades, and up to 20 percent improvement all over the world.

The results of the study come as good news to industries and policy makers that aim to assist in the adaptation to climate change for the years to come.  Ambiguity in climate predictions could mean that climate change adaptation measures should be planned with more flexibility –something which also makes the measures more expensive.

Information from a group of climate models was used by the researchers to distinguish the primary reasons for the vagueness in temperature change forecasts in different time scales and areas.

Although the study had been done on a worldwide scale in the past, it is the first time to use a regional scale for the study.

The study illustrated that in the coming four decades at all regions, the principal uncertainties for climate forecasts are mainly caused by dissimilarities between the climate models as well as the natural unpredictability of the climate.

According to the research, the two types of uncertainty may be lessened through investment and advancement of climate science.

It was therefore advised for funding agencies and planners to focus on the issue of how climate science can best bring improvements given the forecasts, and in the process, lessen the expenses of adaptation to climate change.

This, as well as other issues was the topic of discussion at the World Climate Conference-3 in Geneva.  The conference concentrated on climate predictions and gave key points for decision-making.  The objective of the conference was to make a global framework for connecting scientific advances in climate forecast with the requirements of the users.

A press release from the event states that the conference aimed to provide current and future generations with climate forecasts so that they can adapt better to climate change and lessen losses that are brought about by extreme weather and climate events like heat waves, sand storms, cyclones, drought and floods.  The forecast resulting from the conference aims to help decision-makers manage their respective sectors such as food security, water management, health care and tourism better.