AI Insight
A new study identifies critical gaps in how weather and climate information fails to reach vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities due to barriers of language, access, and trust. Sharma et al. propose a solution-oriented framework that redesigns information sharing processes to actively deliver weather warnings to these communities rather than assuming they will seek it out themselves. The research emphasizes dedicating specific resources and staff to ensure all populations can receive timely information about high-impact weather events regardless of their location, language, or connectivity.
Why it matters
This research addresses a significant equity issue in public safety, as vulnerable communities often suffer disproportionately during extreme weather events due to lack of adequate warning. The proposed framework provides practical approaches that weather services and emergency management agencies can implement to reduce casualties and property damage in underserved populations.
Understand the Science
Editors’ Highlights are summaries of recent papers by AGU’s journal editors.
Source: Community Science
Information about the weather is crucial for life, property, and work. Many people take it for granted. Yet, despite the centuries of sharing such information, especially when it is critical to provide warning, it does not reach all communities. There are many communities for which barriers of language, access, and trust lead to underutilization of information.
Sharma et al. [2026] address this challenge by considering how to design the information sharing process so it can get to the hard-to-reach communities. The study identifies where the information gets lost in translation. Considering this, the authors propose practical approaches to help ensure that all people, regardless of their location, language, or connectivity, can receive the information they need to prepare for and respond to high-impact weather events. This includes providing specific resources and staff that are dedicated to sharing this information with these communities. The study emphasizes the importance of designing information sharing processes that don’t assume that people will find the information—especially the most vulnerable.
Citation: Sharma, S., Were, V., Farris, A., Joshi, A., Gerst, M. D., Sund, I., & Kenney, M. A. (2026). Information supply chain gaps for hard-to-reach communities: A solution-oriented framework from weather service insights. Community Science, 5, e2025CSJ000160. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025CSJ000160
—Muki Haklay, Editor, Community Science Exchange
Text © 2026. The authors. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
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Source: Making Weather and Climate Information Reach the Communities that Need It