This paper analyses research conducted in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with additional material from the Climate & Development Knowledge Network’s experience in Ghana, India and Pakistan. It discusses the technical, operational and institutional influences on the use and application of risk information related to climate extremes and other hazards, embedding its analysis in a broader set of challenges around implementing disaster risk management and adaptation policies. It presents a number of recommendations on how to conceive and conduct risk assessments which convey clear messages and are therefore can be more easily translated into effective risk management decisions.