GCOS Donor Fund

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Global Climate Observing System Progress Report






WMO Executive Council - June 2004 Prof Paul
Mason Chairman, GCOS Steering Committee

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Major Current Activities

• Preparing an Implementation Plan for the Global
  Observing Systems for Climate in Support of the
  UNFCCC
• COP-9 Decision 11/CP.9 on global observing
  systems for climate
• Improving the GCOS baseline networks / systems
• Monitoring, analysis and feedback
• Data availability
• GCOS Cooperation Mechanism
• Future Issues

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Background Second Adequacy Report

• GCOS Second Adequacy Report was presented to WMO
  14th Congress and the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body on
  Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA).
• Final Report available
  www.wmo.ch/web/gcos/gcoshome.html
• Full implementation of integrated global
  observing systems for climate, sustained on the
  basis of a mix of high-quality satellite and in
  situ measurements, dedicated infrastructure and
  targeted capacity-building will require
  commitment of all Nations.
• Improve the free and unrestricted exchange of
  data for essential climate variables (Table 1)
• Make available integrated global climate products
  based largely on satellite data or on climate
  reanalysis of historical data to meet user needs
  (Table 2)
• Develop internationally approved observing
  standards - especially for the terrestrial
  domain
• Enhance capacity building and system improvements
  in developing countries related to climate
  observations.

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Table 1 - Essential Climate Variables

• Atmospheric
• Surface Air temperature, Precipitation, Air
  pressure, Surface radiation budget, Wind speed
  and direction, Water vapour
• Upper Air Earth radiation budget (including
  solar irradiance), Upper-air temperature
  (including MSU radiances), Wind speed and
  direction, Water vapour, Cloud properties
• Composition Carbon dioxide, Methane, Ozone,
  Other long-lived greenhouse gases, Aerosol
  properties.
• Oceanic
• Surface Sea-surface temperature, Sea-surface
  salinity, Sea level, Sea state, Sea ice, Current,
  Ocean colour (for biological activity), Carbon
  dioxide partial pressure
• Sub-surfaceTemperature, Salinity, Current,
  Nutrients, Carbon, Ocean tracers, Phytoplankton
• Terrestrial
• River discharge, Water use, Ground water, Lake
  levels, Snow cover, Glaciers and ice caps,
  Permafrost and seasonally-frozen ground, Albedo,
  Land cover (including vegetation type), Fraction
  of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation
  (FAPAR), Leaf area index (LAI), Biomass, Fire
  disturbance.

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Table 2 - Integrated Global Climate-quality
Products Variables largely dependent upon
satellite observations

• Atmospheric
• Precipitation, Earth radiation budget (including
  solar irradiance), Upper-air temperature
  (including MSU radiances), Wind speed and
  direction (especially over the oceans), Water
  vapour, Cloud properties, Carbon dioxide, Ozone,
  Aerosol properties.
• Oceanic
• Sea-surface temperature, Sea level, Sea ice,
  Ocean colour (for biological activity).
• Terrestrial
• Snow cover, Glaciers and ice caps, Albedo, Land
  cover (including vegetation type), Fraction of
  absorbed photosynthetically active radiation
  (FAPAR), Fire disturbance.

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Early responses to Second Adequacy Report

• Endorsement by CEOS, COP of GCOS Climate
  Monitoring Principles adopted by WMO Cg-XIV
• Attention to integrated products by CGMS and
  IGOS-P themes
• Adoption of 2AR items within other programmes and
  agencies

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Decision 11/CP.9 Global observing systems for
climate

• Parties - consider actions to address findings in
  Adequacy Report, including support for priority
  needs in developing countries.
• GCOS - develop a phased 5- to 10-year
  implementation plan, including an open review of
  the plan (final plan by COP-10).
• GEO - invited to treat global climate monitoring
  as a priority and to collaborate closely with
  GCOS on Implementation Plans
• Sponsors of GCOS/GTOS - develop framework for
  preparing standards etc. for terrestrial
  observing systems for climate
• GCOS/GOOS - provide progress re the initial ocean
  climate observing system (report in June 2005).
• SBI - incorporate GCOS Climate Monitoring
  Principles (approved by WMO Cg-XIV and CEOS)
  into the reporting guidelines for systematic
  observation.

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Implementation Plan Priorities

• Developing and Institutionalising Integrated
  Products including reanalysis
• Improving and Establishing Key Networks
• Ensuring Global Coverage and Participation
• Adhering to GCOS Climate Monitoring Principles
• Enhancing data availability, management, access
• Supporting the necessary RD
• Enhancing national awareness of needs e.g.,
  national reporting to UNFCCC

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Completion of Implementation Plan

• Letter from Secretary-General to Members
  informing them that
• Draft Plan now available for review
  http//www.wmo.ch/web/gcos/gcoshome.html
• Comments to be submitted to gcosjpo_at_wmo.int by
  July 9, 2004
• Plan to be completed for submission to SBSTA at
  COP-10 in Buenos Aires in December 2004.

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Improving the GCOS networks / systems

• Significant milestones include
• Establishment of the CBS Lead Centres for the
  GCOS Surface Network and the GCOS Upper-Air
  Network (JMA and NCDC)
• Progress in oceanic and terrestrial domains
  e.g. 1000 Argo floats, albedo product, etc
• Completion of Regional Workshops for South
  America and Central Asia with prospect for
  well-defined projects
• GCOS Cooperation Mechanism

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GCOS and CBS Centres for GSN and GUAN Data
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Data Exchange

• SBSTA-18 (June 2003) requested an analysis to
  better understand data exchange issues
• UNFCCC seeking to respond to IPCC need for data
  for impact and adaptation studies
• Initial step to provide statistics on data
  availability from monitoring and data centres
  (Report on GCOS Web site)
• Many reasons for data absence are noted
  technical problems, lack of awareness of climate
  requirements, reluctance of some countries,
  resource limitations, etc.
• Further response needs full WMO involvement

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GCOS Cooperation Mechanism

• Goal to develop a multi-governmental approach
  to coordinate and address the need for priority
  systems, especially for least developed countries
  and SIDS.
• Core group of countries developed the ToRs and
  agreed to initiate the process based on actions
  already starting to occur with GCOS involvement.
• Incorporates a GCOS Cooperation Board, which is
  the primary means to establish and direct
  priority improvement projects
• Open to any country involved in supporting such
  needs.
• Utilises advice from the GCOS Steering Committee
  and project management by an implementation
  officer -
• Complements existing bilateral support and
  international funding mechanisms, e.g., WMO/VCP
  and cooperative arrangements.
• Utilises connection with UNFCCC to attract
  support from other agencies within governments

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Current System Improvement Projects

• GCOS, working with interested donors, WWW and TCO
  on initial improvements in GUAN stations in
  equatorial areas in Africa, South America and on
  oceanic islands.
• Strategic priorities established by AOPC 10
  stations making greatest incremental improvement
  in global coverage of GUAN
• Implementation priorities set by Donors
• Funding from US Climate Change Research
  Initiative (CCRI) with matching support from
  Australia, N.Z. and U.K.
• Project Implementation Officer
• Initial projects
• new stations at Dar es Salaam Gan
• new H2 generators at Galapagos, Nairobi,
  Douala
• bulk purchase of radiosondes and balloons.
• Additional improvements in 2004

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Future Issues

• Resource Mobilization for implementing GCOS
• Implementing the Implementation Plan
• Improvements in baseline networks and project
  coordination
• Continuing the GCOS Secretariat
• WMO leadership in implementing the global
  observing system for climate
• Atmosphere, ocean land
• Integrated global climate-quality products
• Achieving global coverage
• Sustaining operations of a global system
• Interactions with the GEO process
• Climate as a 21st century priority