The Secretariat presented draft project proposals on the support to the Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring Sites (TEMS) database, on the identification of users requirements, and on support to the Secretariat. The question was raised as to: who are the potential donors? How can we convince them to support a proposal? It was suggested to reduce the costs of the proposals, either by reviewing the objectives or by breaking them into smaller parts.
It was agreed that proposals be sent to Steering Committee members for their comments. The group recommended to follow a strategy in generating proposals, that is in line with the GTOS Plan and that demonstrates some substantive and coherent progress in implementing GTOS.
This project would develop a prioritized list of the long-term observational requirements based on consultation with policy makers, planners and scientists. These requirements would be developed according to the five GTOS priority issues: water resource management; land use change, land degradation and ecosystems; climate change; loss of biodiversity; and pollution and toxicity.
The proposal was seen as a high priority for GTOS that would allow the programme to focus on specific activities and be justified to developing countries by explaining how it can assist them and what it will provide. It was agreed the proposal should be linked with the Prototype Network and cover the activities described in the GTOS Plan as well as in the document, GTOS and the Conventions. The section on “potential users” of the GTOS Plan should be included as well as focus on the international and regional levels rather than national.
The objectives suggested for this project proposal are to: expand the number of registered terrestrial monitoring sites, update the content and quality of existing data, introduce a pc-based version of the database, incorporate new features and make the Internet access more robust, transfer of the Oracle-based TEMS meta-database from the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) to FAO headquarters, and promote the use of TEMS among scientists and policy analysts.
There was an inquiry whether TEMS needed to be located in FAO, as opposed to, for example, a developing country. The group agreed that there is a need to review the TEMS strategy before updating the database, and evaluate its benefits. The questionnaire - sent to sites and networks during the Planning Phase of GTOS - should be reviewed as well. Too much information is requested and it is not clear what sites gain by joining the meta-database.
This proposal would provide scientific and technical support to the GTOS Secretariat which in turn will, under the guidance of the Steering Committee, implement and manage the GTOS programme. The activities would be to recruit two scientific officers, organize an annual meeting of the GTOS Steering Committee and promote technical and financial collaboration with GCOS and GOOS.
It was recommended to reduce the costs of the proposal, and to show in the budget what is already supported by the Co-sponsors. This proposal has to be carefully structured because it is difficult to obtain funding for a Secretariat. It was agreed to focus on the scientific officers, and eventually the joint panels with GCOS and GOOS, but the group was of the view that the Steering Committee meeting is a core function of GTOS that should be paid from the contributions of the Co-sponsors and not from external donors.
A copy of a preliminary outline on the development of GTOS integrated indices, prepared by Antonio Cendrero, was circulated to the group. The use of these indices would help to synthesize, simplify and communicate information concerning spatial and temporal changes in the state of the environment related to both global changes or more local human influences.
It was agreed that this is an important activity on which GTOS should focus. A more complete proposal should be developed and sent to the Steering Committee and Co-sponsors for their comments.
The project has two main purposes: 1) to identify a set of users needs for climate related data for the countries in SE Asia; 2) to demonstrate the utility of Global Climate Observing System, Global Terrestrial Observing System and Global Ocean Observing System data in a national assessment of the impacts of climate change.
This proposal is still being reviewed by GCOS, GOOS and GTOS. It was stressed that it fits well with the objectives of GTOS and therefore should be finalized as soon as possible. It was suggested to develop a similar proposal for Latin America.
The overall objective of this project is to define and demonstrate the operational aspects of GTOS, GCOS and GOOS in close cooperation with the relevant institutions of six widely varying developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and two developed countries in Europe.
The project was submitted to the government of Norway in 1996, which agreed to support a portion of it but requested the collaboration of other donors. The proposal was therefore sent to other potential donors (Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden). A mission from FAO will go to the Netherlands in June 1997 to discuss their support to the project.
This proposal was sent by UNEP-GEF to FAO, which expressed interest and proposed that it could be considered as a GTOS type of project with some modifications in the proposal. The project would prepare a Trans-boundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) for the protection of the Canary current large marine ecosystem from land-based activities in 7 west-African countries.
Although the subject is relevant both to GTOS and GOOS, it was agreed that it would be premature for GTOS to be involved in this project. The Secretariat was asked to advise the GEF that it would not participate but could provide joint GOOS and GTOS comments in order to improve the proposal.
Inquiries were being made with the Government of Japan regarding possible support to TEMS and the sponsorship of a future meeting of the Steering Committee. Preliminary results were expected by mid-June.
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Follow-up actions: · Secretariat to prepare new drafts of the proposals on Users, TEMS Database and Secretariat and to circulate them to the Steering Committee and Co-sponsors for their comments. · Secretariat to prepare, with the assistance of Antonio Cendrero, a project proposal on GTOS Integrated Indices and to circulate it to the Steering Committee and Co-sponsors for their comments. · Secretariat to keep the Steering Committee and the Co-sponsors informed on the follow-up of the South-East Asia and the Norway proposals. · Secretariat to send a letter to UNEP-GEF declining to participate in the West-African project but proposing comments from GTOS and GOOS in order to improve this project proposal. |
