8.1 National Reporting on the Status of Climate-related Observations
Dr Cihlar introduced the subject by reviewing the developments leading to SBSTA/COP-4 request to GCOS to develop guidelines for national reporting on the status of climate-related observations. An initial input to GCOS was reviewed and was found to require more focus, simplification and more emphasis on quantitative, tabular information. A second version was prepared by the GCOS Programme Office and made available prior to the TOPC-V meeting.
In breakout groups, meeting participants considered specific questions that would be appropriate to obtain the inputs from individual countries. Based on the results of the discussion, the following approach is proposed for the terrestrial networks:
For each thematic global network, GT-Net should prepare a web-accessible database with information in the three parts:
Part 1: Sites presently reporting to the global observing systems
GT-Net: For each site, list: site name, geographic location, country, variables measured, period of operation (years)
Candidate questions to be asked:
Does your country intend to support the operation of these sites during the next six years (2000-2005)?
Part 2: Sites taking measurements but not presently reporting to the global observing systems
GT-Net: For each site, list: site name, geographic location, country, variables measured, period of operation (years)
(as available)
Candidate questions to be asked:
Are there other sites where your country supports making similar observations?
Do you intend to support the operation of these sites during the next six years (2000-2005)?
Are the data a) quality controlled and b) archived, and where?
Are you willing to make these data available to GCOS/GTOS for climate-related purposes?
Part 3:GT-Net: Itemise major gaps in spatial coverage that hamper making global or regional assessment in climate trends and impacts; prepare a list of regions and/or countries, and explain the nature and consequence of the gap.
Candidate questions to be asked:
Are you willing to consider establishing observation sites in your country to reduce these gaps?
It is important to note that a country may be supporting sites in another country/region; the questions need to allow for this case. Note also that a different approach will be needed for hydrological information, given that the global network is still evolving (refer to Section 7.3).
TOPC made the following recommendations:
Recommendation 8.1: TOPC recommends that the above approach be considered in obtaining national inputs on climate-related observing networks
Recommendation 8.2: TOPC recommends that the member GT-NET networks develop the required information on the present networks, with the support of GCOS and GTOS secretariats.
