GCOS: Global Climate Observing System - Improving Climate Information Availability

1. Global Climate Observing System Dr Stephan Bojinski, GCOS Secretariat CBS/GCOS Expert Meeting on GSN and GUAN, Asheville, USA

2. The GCOS Mission To ensure that the data required to meet the needs of users for climate information are obtained and made available for: • Climate system monitoring, climate change detection and attribution; • Research to improve understanding, modelling and prediction of the climate system; • Assessing impacts of, and vulnerability to, climate variability and change, e.g. extreme events, sea-level change, inputs for adaptation analyses; • Application to sustainable economic development. Global, long-term, high-quality, sustainable, reliable, …

3. GCOS Strategy • Identify observational requirements for climate applications • Science panels (AOPC, OOPC, TOPC), partners, sponsors • Identify networks/systems needed to meet requirements • Build on existing systems to the extent possible • Work with partners to implement systems to GCOS standards; other observing systems, sponsors, CEOS, IGOS, GEOSS… • Engage intergovernmental, regional and national bodies • UNFCCC/COP on ‘systematic observation’ requirements • National and regional entities to address deficiencies • Capacity building • Resource mobilization • Multi-governmental funding, national support • GCOS Cooperation Mechanism

4. GCOS is comprised of climate components of various global observing systems including both satellite and in situ observations Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) WCRP/GEWEXBSRN Solar irradiance Other WMO WWW Global Observing System (GOS) Atmosphere WMO Global Terrestrial Network for Hydrology (GTN-H) Water WMO Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) Atmospheric Chemistry FAO Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS) Land IOC/ UNESCO Global Ocean Observing System(GOOS) Ocean

5. Second Adequacy Report to UNFCCC (2AR) • Requested by SBSTA-15 (Marrakech, Nov. 2001) to: • Determine progress since the First Adequacy Report (1998); • Determine the degree to which current networks/systems meet scientific requirements and observing principles; • Assess how well current and planned systems meet the needs of the Convention. • Identified 44 ‘Essential Climate Variables’ (ECVs) that are both currently feasible for global implementation and have high impact on UNFCCC requirements. • Endorsed by WMO Cg-XIV and SBSTA-19/COP-9 (Dec. 2003)

6. Essential Climate Variables • Atmospheric (16) • 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 (15) • Surface – Sea-surface temperature, Sea-surface salinity, Sea level, Sea state, Sea ice, Current, Ocean colour (for biological activity), Carbon dioxide partial pressure • Sub-surface –Temperature, Salinity, Current, Nutrients, Carbon, Ocean tracers, Phytoplankton • Terrestrial (13) • 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.

7. GCOS Implementation Plan • The Plan (requested by Decision 11/CP.9, UNFCCC COP-9, 2003): • Draws on expressed views of Parties with respect to 2AR • Takes account of existing global, regional and national plans and programmes, including IGOS, GMES, and GEO • Based on extensive consultations with a broad range of scientists and data users, including open review before completion • Includes indicators for measuring implementation • Identifies implementation priorities and resource requirements • Recommends that Parties (i.e., countries): • Need, both individually and collectively, to commit to the full implementation of the global observing system for climate, sustained on the basis of a mix of high-quality satellite measurements, ground-based and airborne in situ and remote-sensing measurements, dedicated analysis infrastructure, and targeted capacity-building.

8. UNFCCC COP/SBSTA Buenos Aires 2004Decision 5/CP.10 and SBSTA-21 Conclusions • Welcomed the Plan • Encouraged Parties to strengthen their efforts to address the priorities identified in the Implementation Plan, • incorporate actions in their national plans and report on their activities. • Welcomed the emphasis on enhancing the participation of developing countries and encouraged Parties to implement “regional action plans” • Appreciated the collaboration between GCOS and GEO. • Welcomed progress on 10-year GEOSS implementation plan • Incorporate actions in GCOS IP into the GEOSS IP. • Invited Parties supporting Earth observation satellites to provide a coordinated response to IP actions. • Invited GCOS to report on progress at subsequent sessions.

9. Priority Areas in Implementation Plan • 131 Actions to implement Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) globally • Priority over the first 5 years : • Improving access to high-quality global data for the essential climate variables (ECVs); • Free and unrestricted data exchange • Adherence to the GCOS Climate Monitoring Principles for in situ and satellite systems • Availability of international data centres • Generating integrated global analysis products; • Improving key satellite and in situ networks; • Strengthening national and international infrastructure; • Enhancing of the full participation of least-developed countries and small island developing states.

10. Characteristics of the Plan • Estimated costs about $630 M/year • A major satellite component,operated in a manner that ensures the long-term accuracy and homogeneity of the data.[Satellites ~41% of costs] • Some ECVs will remain critically dependent on in situ observationsfor full measurement or for calibration and validation of satellite records. [In situ networks ~38% of costs] • Global participationis essential for global coverage of key in-situ networks. [Capacity building ~5% of costs] • Sustained product generation and improved data management. [Infrastructure ~10% of costs] • International oversight and coordination – linkage to GEO. [Oversight of implementation ~4% of costs]

11. Key Actions - Atmosphere • Key Action 12: (a) Ensure the implementation and full operation of the baseline networks and systems noted below and to ensure the exchange of these data with the international community, and to recover and exchange historical records; • GCOS Surface Network (GSN). • Atmospheric component of the composite surface ocean observation system including sea-level pressure (see Key Oceanic Actions), • GCOS Upper-Air Network (GUAN), • Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) global CO2 network, • MSU-like radiance satellite observations, • Total solar irradiance and Earth radiation budget satellite observations (b) Establish a high-quality reference network of about 30 precision radiosonde stations and other collocated observations

12. Actions with agents for implementation • Key Action 2: Support for an International Project Office to provide overall coordination, to monitor performance, to report regularly on implementation, to initiate corrective actions

13. Other GCOS Activities • GCOS Regional Workshop Programme • Goal - “….to identify the priority capacity-building needs related to participation in systematic observation….” • Completed 8 Regional Workshops and 7 Regional Action Plans • GCOS Cooperation Mechanism (GCM) • ToR – focus on management issues, i.e. use of resources & cooperative activities as well as resource mobilisation • Cooperation Board (9 countries + EC) – recommended: preparing donor inventory & developing priority improvements, e.g., rivers, sea level. • System Improvement – current priority on GUAN • Upper Air systems – installed 2 new systems in 2004; 3 more in 2005 • H2 Generators –installed 5 in 2004; 4 more in 2005 • Regional Technical Support Projects – centralized management capability to maintain reliability of the observing networks (esp.,, GSN and GUAN) – Pacific Islands, Caribbean Is. & Botswana

14. System Improvements – GSN & GUAN • Working with monitoring, analysis & archiving centres to improve functioning of the networks and the availability of historical data. • Working with interested donors, WWW and RCD on improvements in GUAN stations in tropical areas in Africa, South America and on oceanic islands. • Strategic priorities established by AOPC – e.g., stations making greatest incremental improvement in global coverage of GUAN • Implementation priorities jointly set by Donors and Project • Funding from US with support from Australia, U.K., N.Z., SAWS • Initial demonstration projects for regional technical support centres

15. GSN & GUAN Certificates of Recognition • Initiated by GCOS AOPC Panel • Based on performance monitoring of the GSN and GUAN Monitoring and Lead Centres in 2003/2004 • Letters from WMO SG to PRs of all participating countries, cc to GCOS Focal Points: 15 August 2005 • Prepared by GCOS Secretariat • Certificates for station operators, indicating station performance

16. GSN & GUAN Certificates of Recognition

17. GSN & GUAN Certificates of Recognition

18. THANK YOU