Variability of African Climate System (VACS)

Richard Washington (Chair) - UKRichard Anyah - USAMohamed Kadi - NigerSimon Mason - USAMathieu Rouault - South AfricaMxolisi Shongwe - SwazilandFred Semazzi - USAPeter Lamb - USAJoseph Mutemi - KenyaArame Tall - Senegal

5th Session of VACS - 11-13 July 2011, Cape Town, South Africa- In support of the 2nd CORDEX Africa workshop - 4-8 July

Variability of African Climate System (VACS)

Climate Services

Capacity Development and Network

Climate Science and Coordination

Variability of African Climate System (VACS)

Climate Services

Direct link to the development community - Red Cross/Red Crescent

Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)Funding call for collaborative research on current climate risk, progressive future climate change, climate change mitigation

Pilot projectsTo demonstrate the value of integrating climate information in policy and mitigation strategies needed to develop a committed community of stakeholders in Africa supporting climate research

Open data accessA key issue related to knowledge ownership across the Continent, a message that VACS will pursue in common with ETCCDI.

Variability of African Climate System (VACS)

Capacity Development and Network

Raising the awareness and profile of VACS and CLIVAR as a whole with young African scientists and using the VACS website:

- provide recommendations on scientific rigor- capacity development opportunities- host a network for African climate scientists- VACS newsletter- workshops and science meetings

Variability of African Climate System (VACS)

Climate Science and Coordination

• VACS African Climate Atlas

• AMMA• Fennec• QWECI• Healthy Futures

• VACS contribution to science plans• Africanness• ICSU• NERC Science Strategy 2012

• CORDEX• CMIP5• CHFP• AIP, IOP

Variability of African Climate System (VACS)

Climate Science and Coordination

VACS African Climate Atlas

• Currently 5 Parts:– Observed Climatologies– Observed Climate Anomalies– Aerosols– ERA-40– CMIP3

• Three components now tested:– Part 6 Thresholds and Extremes in CMIP3– Part 7 Regional Models– Part 8 FAQs

Variability of African Climate System (VACS)

Issues for SSG

Future integration of GEWEX as a co-sponsor of VACS

How VACS will contribute to the WCRP-wide strategy of research coordination, network development and capacity development in Africa