Information Systems (IS) research increasingly relies on data science to address complex climate data challenges. This study examines the critical issues surrounding climate data in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), highlighting problems such as data scarcity, inaccuracies, and mishandling, all of which undermine the region’s response to climate change. Despite the growing significance of climate data in shaping mitigation and adaptation strategies, there is a notable gap in studies addressing these challenges specifically within the SADC context. Using a systematic review of existing literature, this research identifies key barriers to effective climate data utilization, particularly the technological and institutional constraints—including insufficient digitization—that hinder climate change responses in the region. The findings indicate that neglecting data-driven climate strategies exacerbates the region’s climate crisis, making the impacts of climate change more severe and harder to manage with traditional methods. The study advocates for the adoption of a climate data-driven approach as both an adaptation and mitigation tool, stressing the urgent need for enhanced data science practices to address SADC’s climate challenges effectively.