Development and utilization of agricultural and rural climate information systems to respond to climate crisis

Climate change has exerted profound impacts on the agricultural and rural sectors, leading to decreased crop productivity, shifts in cultivation zones, and an increased frequency of extreme weather events such as droughts and floods. In Korea, however, climate-related data have been dispersed across multiple institutions, hindering their integrated use and effective linkage to policy development. To address these challenges, this study developed the Agricultural and Rural Climate Information System (ARCCAS), which provides future climate projection data up to the year 2100 based on the IPCC’s Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) scenarios and multi-model ensemble (MME) outputs derived from 18 global climate models (GCMs). ARCCAS integrates and manages climate information across multiple domains, including agriculture and rural environments, water resources and infrastructure, and forestry. Unlike previous fragmented and institution-specific systems, ARCCAS adopts a standardized data architecture and a unified analytical framework to ensure the consistency and interoperability of climate impact and vulnerability information. The system also features GIS-based visualization and user-oriented retrieval modules, enabling intuitive and efficient data exploration and analysis. By emphasizing interoperability, data standardization, and user accessibility, ARCCAS overcomes the fragmentation and inconsistency of existing systems. Consequently, it serves as a comprehensive decision-support platform that enhances climate impact assessment and facilitates evidence-based adaptation policy development in the agricultural sector.