Getting started

PLEASE USE THE PYTHON VERSION: https://github.com/CLIMADA-project/climada_python

The present MATLAB version of CLIMADA is not supported any more.

CLIMADA consists of a core module and a variety of additional modules.

• The climada core module covers tropical cyclones only.
• The climada_additional modules include further natural hazards such as
  • advanced tropical cyclones,
  • storm surge,
  • torrential rain,
  • earthquake and volcano on a global yet local (1km) resolution,
  • plus winter storm in Europe.
  • Other additional modules offer further functionalities such as creating an global asset exposure layer based on GDP and night light data, generating all hazards for given country and visualizing results als kml-files in Google Earth.

• Get the *** CLIMADA*** core module from GitHub¹, i.e. go to https://github.com/davidnbresch/climada and either click on the Download ZIP button or on Clone in Desktop.

• Enter startup in the MATLAB Command Window and press Enter (or Return). This initializes climada, sets some variables (e.g. the location of the data folder³) and detects any climada_additional modules⁴.

• It is ok if there are no further modules shown, as long as … done appears.

• Start by invoking the climada demonstration by entering climada_demo in the MATLAB Command Window⁵, which is also the best way to test whether climada works properly – play with the sliders.

While the standard climada setup contains the data folder within climada, one can also create a folder named climada_data parallel to climada to allow for core climada data NOT being synched (only the folder ../climada/data within core climada gets synched). This way, any data used in climada beyond the default files will not be synchronised.

In order to grant core climada access to additional modules (see https://github.com/davidnbresch), create a folder climada_modules on the same level as the core climada folder to store any additional modules. This way, climada sources all modules' code upon startup.

####Next steps Read the introduction and find out what CLIMADA and ECA is.
Read more on natural catastrophe modelling.

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¹ About GitHub, recommended reading (especially chapters 1, 2 and 3) and directly to the pdf

² Same procedure in Octave, see also Notes on Octave below.

³ Usually the folder you downloaded or cloned to from GitHub.

⁴ The global variable climada_global (a struct) contains all these variables. See the code climada_init_vars.m which sets all these variables. Make sure you never issue a clear all command, as this would also delete climada_global and hence climada would not find it’s stuff any more.

⁵ A climada_additional module extends the functionality of climada and allows users to further develop climada without risking to change the core code. See further below for some examples of modules.

⁶ From now on, just type any command in Courier in the MATAB Command Window, as we will not state this each time again.