This book discusses regional climate variability and change, with a focus on the La Plata Basin (LBP) region, and its applications for societal benefits. Written for an audience of non-climate scientists, the book aims to connect recent advances in regional climate understanding and prediction with practical guidance for decision makers. The book is oriented towards researchers, students, and technicians in disciplines that apply climate knowledge to environment-related contexts and sectors. Only a basic level of physics and mathematics is required. 

The book has three major goals, which are addressed across five chapters. The first goal is to describe the behavior of regional climate on different timescales, including variability and change, using simple conceptual models. The second goal is to provide updated information about the predictability of climate variability and current predictive skill within the LPB. The third goal is to discuss the concept of "climate services" and how information from these services can be used to aid in decision-making. Readers will learn how climate information should be applied to maximize value, including how to interpret probabilities and manage uncertainties.