World Meteorological OrganizationREGIONAL ASSOCIATION II (ASIA)Sixteenth SessionAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates12 to 16 February 2017

RA II-16/Doc. 4.2(3)Submitted by:

Secretary-General17.I.2017DRAFT 1

AGENDA ITEM 4: PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES – REGIONAL ASPECTS

AGENDA ITEM 4.2: CLIMATE SERVICES, ACTION AND RESILIENCE

CLIMATE SERVICES INFORMATION SYSTEM (CSIS)

SUMMARY

DECISIONS/ACTIONS REQUIRED:

(a) Adopt draft Decision 4.2(3)/1 — WMO statements on the global climate as a WMO mechanism for informing policy and decision-making on climate variability and change;

(b) Adopt draft Decision 4.2(3)/2 – Accelerating data rescue and collaboration on regional and international data rescue initiatives;

(c) Adopt draft Decision 4.2(3)/3– Implementation and coordination of Regional Climate Centre (RCC) operations in RA II.

CONTENT OF DOCUMENT:

The Table of Contents is available only electronically as a Document Map*.DRAFT DECISIONS

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RA II-16/Doc. 4.2(3), DRAFT 1, p. 2

Draft Decision 4.2(3)/1 (RA II-16)

WMO STATEMENTS ON THE GLOBAL CLIMATE AS A WMO MECHANISM FOR INFORMING POLICY AND DECISION-MAKING ON CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE

THE ASSOCIATION,

Recalling the EC-68 Decision 25 requesting that an analysis be conducted on the release of the five-year and ten-year WMO global climate statement reports, including the Members’ contribution to, and use of, these reports, and the interest generated by these reports,

Welcoming the recent initiative by WMO in collaboration with the Commission for Climatology, Members’ NMHSs, and affiliated global data and climate analysis centres to produce a five-year climate statement, covering the period 2011–2015, and a provisional annual statement on the global climate in 2016,

Noting:

(1) That the five-year climate statement was presented at the “Earth Info Day’’ event organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat on 8 November at the Conference of Parties (COP 22) held in Marrakesh, Morocco, from 6 to 18 November 2016,

(2) The successful formal release of the five-year climate statement and the provisional annual statement on the global climate in 2016 during the COP 22 with two press conferences held on 8 and 14 November led by the WMO Deputy Secretary-General and the Secretary-General respectively,

(3) That the forty-fifth session of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA-45) welcomed the submissions from WMO: The Global Climate in 2011–2015, as well as the WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, and invited WMO to provide submissions on the state of the global climate on a regular basis, as appropriate, at subsequent SBSTA sessions,

Noting with concern:

(1) That, globally, the five-year period 2011–2015 experienced record breaking temperatures, continued shrinking of sea ice and sea level rise, and an accelerated pace of warming, driven by long term climate change and spiked by the strong El Niño event in 2015/2016,

(2) That both the five-year and provisional annual statements contained information on alarming conditions affecting Region II, record high temperatures at continental scale and in several countries, and high impact extreme events, including heat waves, tropical cyclones, and flooding, which resulted in several thousand lives lost and several US$ billion in damages,

Expressing its strong interest in continued issuance by WMO of climate statements on an annual and multi-year basis,

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Invites Members:

(1) To make use of the information provided in the five-year and the annual statements on global climate for informing relevant policy and decision-making at national and regional levels, noting in particular the influence of climate variability and change on economic and societal aspects;

(2) To further support NMHSs’ capabilities which underpin robust climate assessment in the Region, including accelerating the recovery and digitization of historic climate records, improving climate data management, and leveraging remote sensed data and products for supporting NMHSs’ climate monitoring activities to complement in situ derived data and products.

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RA II-16/Doc. 4.2(3), DRAFT 1, p. 4

Draft Decision 4.2(3)/2 (RA II-16)

ACCELERATING DATA RESCUE AND COLLABORATION ON REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DATA RESCUE INITIATIVES

THE ASSOCIATION,

Recalling:

(1) The Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) implementation plan, which prioritizes large-scale data recovery and digitization, to strengthen the climate data sets contributing to the Climate Services Information System (CSIS) with the required quantity, quality, and coverage to support the provision of climate services, in particular at national and local levels,

(2) Resolution 60 (Cg-17) – WMO policy for the international exchange of climate data and products to support the implementation of the GFCS,

Noting the importance of sharing knowledge and best practices as a mechanism to accelerate data rescue activities, including locating, inventorying, preserving and digitizing historical climate records, and taking all necessary measures to ensure these records are not facing risks of loss or degradation,

Acknowledging the efforts by Members, the WMO Commission for Climatology (CCl) and the Secretariat to accelerate data rescue worldwide and in the Regions,

Noting with satisfaction the start-up of an Indian Ocean Data Rescue Initiative (INDARE) involving Member collaboration in RA I, RA II and RA V to locate and accelerate the recovery and digitization of historical climate records from both land and ocean domains and collaborate on sharing relevant information, data, infrastructure and knowledge,

Welcoming the ongoing efforts by Indonesia and India to establish a mirrored climate data service portal for INDARE, providing information on data inventories and access to relevant data-derived products, such as climate indices,

Welcoming further the entry in operation of the International Data Rescue Portal (I-DARE) and the provision of guidance for registering data rescue information as summarized in the Annex,

Decides:

(1) To endorse the Indian Ocean Data Rescue Initiative (INDARE);

(2) To collaborate enthusiastically in the international data rescue initiative I-DARE, and the global integrated portal for registering and discovering information on data rescue projects, best practices, tools, methods and guidance on the recovery and digitization of climate records worldwide;

Invites:

(1) Members to enhance their support to data rescue by allocating the necessary human and financial resources for NMHSs to further accelerate the recovery and digitization of climate records;

(2) NMHSs and other institutions holding historical climate archives to register their data rescue needs as well as ongoing data rescue activities under I-DARE;

Requests:

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(1) The RA II subsidiary body responsible for data rescue and management to promote Members’ collaboration on data rescue, including sharing relevant information through I-DARE, the further development of the INDARE approach, and evaluate the potential for initiating similar initiatives covering other geographical areas of Region II;

(2) The Secretary-General to enhance WMO extrabudgetary resource mobilization to support data rescue in Region II.

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Annex: 1

RA II-16/Doc. 4.2(3), DRAFT 1, p. 6

Annex to draft Decision 4.2(3)/2 (RA II-16)

ACCELERATING DATA RESCUE AND COLLABORATION ON REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DATA RESCUE INITIATIVES

The International Data Rescue Portal – I-DARE: The International Data Rescue Portal I-DARE (www.idare-portal.org) has been implemented to provide a global integrated infrastructure for collating information on data rescue activities worldwide. The long-term goal of I-DARE is to provide a global overview of data rescue needs and activities worldwide to facilitate enhanced coordination of data rescue assistance. The portal provides state-of-the art guidelines and information on tools and technologies for rescuing data. Members are encouraged to contribute to the portal by registering national data rescue needs as well as ongoing data rescue activities. A quick start guide for registering data rescue information is available in the portal. Members have been invited to nominate a national I-DARE contact person to facilitate communication and information exchange. Scope and Terms of Reference for I-DARE contact persons are available in the portal. More than 40 Members nominated a national contact person at the end of November 2016. I-DARE is supervised by the WMO Commission for Climatology Expert Team on Data Rescue (ET DARE) and operated by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) under the auspices of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS). More information on the portal can be obtained by e-mail request to Dr Peter Siegmund (peter.siegmund@knmi.nl), member of CCl ET DARE and I-DARE lead, or to WMO (wcdmp@wmo.int).

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RA II-16/Doc. 4.2(3), DRAFT 1, p. 7

Draft Decision 4.2(3)/3 (RA II-16)

IMPLEMENTATION AND COORDINATION OF REGIONAL CLIMATE CENTRE (RCC) OPERATIONS IN RA II

THE ASSOCIATION,

Recalling:

(1) Decision 52 (EC-68) on Polar Regional Climate Centres (PRCC) endorsing the development of Arctic PRCC-Network as a joint initiative of RAs II, IV, and VI and the follow-up progress in the development of an implementation plan,

(2) Resolution 5 (RA V-16) on Implementation of Regional Climate Centre (RCC) Networks in Regional Association V (South-West Pacific), urging close collaboration between RA II and RA V on the implementation of the RCC-Network for the Southeast Asian sub-region straddling both RA II and RA V, and the consequent efforts by RA V to establish an RCC-Network to serve its Members in Southeast Asia, as well as the ongoing operations of the Association of South East Asian Nations Climate Outlook Forum (ASEANCOF), involving Members of both RA II and RA V within the Southeast Asian subregion,

Noting:

(1) That three designated multi-functional RCCs are in operation in RA II: RCC Beijing (China), RCC Tokyo (Japan), and RCC Moscow (Russian Federation), and that RCC Pune (India) was recommended for designation by CBS-16,

(2) The recommendations of the Regional Consultation on Climate Services for the Third Pole Region (Jaipur, India, 9–11 March 2016) on establishing an RCC-Network and a Regional Climate Outlook Forum (RCOF) focused on the special needs of the Third Pole Region,

(3) The efforts of the Executive Council Panel of Experts on Polar and High-mountain Observations, Research and Services (EC-PHORS) in promoting the Polar RCC concept for the Arctic, Antarctic as well as the Third Pole Region,

Noting further the key role of regional associations in initiating the establishment and facilitating the development and operations of RCCs,

Recognizing:

(1) That the products and services provided by the RCCs in RA II are not being optimally utilized by Members and that no systematic mechanism is in place to collect feedback on the usefulness of these products,

(2) The urgent need for coordination and orchestration of functions and services provided by the existing RCCs across RA II,

(3) The need for enhanced coordination between the neighbouring regional associations in implementing cross-regional RCCs and RCOFs,

Decides:

(1) To establish collaboration and coordination mechanisms to ensure the consistency and harmonization of operations of RCCs in RA II, through regular coordination efforts facilitated by the RA II subsidiary body in charge of climate services;

RA II-16/Doc. 4.2(3), DRAFT 1, p. 8

(2) To collectively assess the use of the products and services by the Members through establishing feedback mechanisms using RCOFs, and to revisit the implementation plan to further improve functions and operations, based on the feedback;

(3) To support the development and implementation of the Arctic PRCC-Network and of Polar Climate Outlook Forums in close collaboration with RAs IV and VI;

(4) To endorse the proposal to establish a WMO RCC-Network for the Third Pole Region;

(5) To endorse the proposal to establish an RCC-Network for Southeast Asia as a joint initiative between RA II and RA V;

Invites:

(1) RCCs and RCC-Networks in RA II to closely work together to provide well-coordinated and complementary regional climate services in support of NMHSs in RA II;

(2) Members in the Third Pole Region with adequate capacities to contribute to and actively support planning and demonstration of the operations of the proposed Third Pole RCC-Network;

(3) RA II Members in the Southeast Asian region to actively contribute to the RCC Network for Southeast Asia and the associated inter-regional climate activities for the subregion;

Requests:

(1) The RA II subsidiary body responsible for climate services to coordinate and facilitate RCC/RCC-Network operations in RA II and also to actively support the development of implementation plans for the RCC-Networks in the Arctic and the Third Pole in close collaboration with the concerned entities of CCl and CBS;

(2) The Secretary-General to facilitate the coordination and provide the necessary secretariat support for implementing RCCs and RCC-Networks as stipulated in the decision above, including though support for resource mobilization efforts;

Urges the Executive Council, particularly through EC-PHORS, to continue its full support to the development and implementation of RCC-Networks and RCOFs for the Arctic and the Third Pole Regions.

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RA II-16/Doc. 4.2(3), DRAFT 1, p. 9

BACKGROUND INFORMATION SUPPORTING DECISIONSNOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SESSION REPORT

WMO climate statements on the global climate

1. In November 2016 WMO published a climate assessment covering the five-year period 2011-2015 (WMO-No. 1179). The five-year climate statement was presented at the “Earth Info Day’’ event organized by the UNFCCC secretariat at the occasion of the Conference of Parties (COP 22). The 5-year report can be found at: http://unfccc.int/files/science/workstreams/systematic_observation/application/pdf/wmo_1179_statement2016_5years_web_en.pdf.

2. WMO released a provisional statement on the global climate in 2016. It is available at: https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/provisional-wmo-statement-status-of-global-climate-2016.

3. In 2013 WMO published a ten-year climate report: The Global Climate 2001-2010 a Decade of Climate Extremes. A complete version (WMO-No. 1103) is available at http://library.wmo.int/pmb_ged/wmo_1103_en.pdf and a summary report (WMO-No. 1119) is available at: http://library.wmo.int/pmb_ged/wmo_1119_en.pdf.

4. WMO has been publishing an annual Statement on the Status of the Global Climate since 1993 the complete series of these statements can be found at: http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/wcp/wcdmp/statement.php.

Data Rescue

5. The Indian Ocean Data Rescue (INDARE) initiative was launched at the first international workshop on the recovery of climate heritage in the Indian Ocean rim countries and islands, 21-24 April 2014, Maputo, Mozambique. INDARE aims at generating reliable climate instrumental time series and historical reanalysis that both improve the monitoring, prediction and projection of climate extremes. Collaboration among INDARE members will help to locate existing disperse data, provide them to the originating countries, enhance and safeguard climate records to prevent them from being lost, and to convert historical long-term climate records into accessible and digitized climate datasets that underpin climate research, applications and climate services. The INDARE Implementation Plan can be found at: http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/wcp/wcdmp/documents/INDAREimplementationPlan.pdf.

RA II Regional Climate Centres

6. EC-PHORS is actively promoting the PRCC concept for the Arctic, Antarctic as well as the Third Pole. The proposal for the Third Pole RCC-Network is mainly a result of the GFCS consultation held in Jaipur, India, in March 2016 (http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/wcp/wcasp/meetings/regional_consultation_third_pole.php). RA II endorsement of this initiative will help us to move forward with its implementation, including resource mobilization.

7. The Arctic PRCC-Network implementation planning meeting held in Geneva in November 2016 agreed on its structure including Node leads and contributing consortia members and on the organization of the first Polar Regional Climate Outlook Forum (PCOF) in 2017, in conjunction with the research and user communities (http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/wcp/wcasp/meetings/PRCC_IPMeeting.html).

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