IOC and WCRP: common goals in climate science and services Dr. J. Luis Valdés

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IOC and WCRP: common goals in climate science and services

Dr. J. Luis Valdés Head Ocean Sciences, IOC-UNESCO

CLIVAR MeetingIOC-UNESCO, Paris, 2-6 May 2011

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

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IOC is part of UNESCO (UN system)

IOC Headquarters are based in Paris

IOC was founded in 1960, so we are celebrating our 50th anniversary

IOC has 138 Member States (2010)

Our governing bodies are the General Assembly and the Executive Council

IOC staff is made by 62 people (42 at the headquarters and 20 in the field)

IOC funds comes from the UNESCO regular budget, extrabudgetary incomes (contributions from member states and donors) and from projects (e.g. GEF)

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The mission of the IOC is to promote international co-operation and to co-ordinate programmes in research, services and capacity building, in order to learn more about the nature and resources of the ocean and coastal areas and to apply that knowledge for the improvement of management, sustainable development, the protection of the marine environment, and the decision making processes of its Member States.

Thus, IOC has a key role to play as a global knowledge broker involving gathering, transfer, dissemination and sharing of information, data, knowledge and best practices related to Oceanography.


IOC Mission

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Services

Sciences

Observations

In order to fulfill its Mission IOC promotes international cooperation though programmes in ocean sciences, observations and services.


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(MEDIUM TERM STRATEGY 2008-2013)

(HLO 1): Prevention and reduction of the impacts of natural hazards

(HLO 2): Mitigation of the impacts of and adaptation to climate change and variability

(HLO 3): Safeguarding the health of ocean ecosystems

(HLO 4): Management procedures leading to the sustainability of coastal and ocean environment and resources

IOC High Level Objectives

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HLO 1 HAZARDS • Tsunamis

HLO 2 CLIMATE CHANGE

• WCRP, GOOS, JCOMM• IOCPP• Ocean Acidification• Marine Ecosystems

O1

: Bio

div

ersity

and M

PA

s B

NJ

O2

: UN

Regula

r Pro

cess

HLO 3 OCEAN HEALTH

• Microplastics• Harmful marine microalgae• Nutrients• Invasive Alien Species

HLO 4COASTAL MANAGEMENT

• ICAM projects• Coastal Inundation• Marine Spatial Planning

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WCRP is an essential piece to achieve IOC goals in HLO 2…

…and a key linkage between the IOC and the UNFCC & IPCC

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Questions to be addressed: • WCRP-IOC joint activities

• WCRP evolution within the UNESCO/IOC priorities

• IOC expectations for WCRP (CLIVAR) in the future

IOC and WCRP: working together

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WCRP-IOC joint activities: Large Oceanographic Programmes

(1985-1994) Tropical Ocean and Global Atmosphere (TOGA) project successfully linked the interaction of the atmosphere with the circulation of tropical oceans

(1990-1997) World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) of expanded the role of the deep ocean structure and the circulation of the oceans and their role in the climate system

(1995-on going) CLImate VARiability and Predictability (CLIVAR) is centered on the changing atmosphere and slowly varying land-surface, ocean and ice masses as they respond to natural processes, human influences and changes in the Earth's chemistry and biota

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CLIVAR is our co-sponsor for GO-SHIP. The GO-SHIP Panel was established in 2007 by the IOCCP and CLIVAR. Project office support for GO-SHIP is provided by the IOC-SCOR International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project (IOCCP) and the Climate Variability and Predictability Project (CLIVAR).

Major financial support for this project is provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation through a grant to UNESCO-IOC and a grant to the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research for the IOCCP.

WCRP-IOC joint activities: Projects, WGs

Objective: Develop a globally coordinated network of sustained hydrographic sections as par tof the global ocean/climate observing system

Strategy: To use ship-based hydrography for obtaining high-quality, high spatial and vertical resolution measurements of a suite of physical, chemical, and biological parameters over the full water column

Dialogue on research needs

Provides observations

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GO-SHIP Reference Sections Map

GO-SHIP would like to have a home in WCRP once that CLIVAR reach its sunset in 2013

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WCRP is our co-sponsor for the Ocean Observations Panel for Climate (OOPC), together with GOOS and GCOS.

Provides advice on scientific requirements

The joint WCRP/IOC Task Group on Sea Level variability and change focus its activities on the major research and observing activities necessary to reduce uncertainty in sea level predictions. Workshop on Regional Sea Level Change (IOC-UNESCO, Paris 7-9 Feb 2011)

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Publication of the book “Understanding Sea Level Rise and Variability”. This is a product of an IOC/WCRP workshop held in 2006 on SLR

WCRP-IOC joint activities: Publications, Meetings, Conferences

John Church Philip L Woodworth T Aarup S Wilson

456 pages Publisher: Wiley, UKSeptember 2010

Publication in 2011 of the Scientific Summary for Policy makers on Ocean fertilization with SOLAS, WCRP and others

IOC-UNESCO SOLAS ICACGP WCRP IGBPSCOR

17 pages February 2011

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Intergovernmental Oceanographic CommissionIntergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

Workshop on metrics and methodologies of estimation of extreme climate events. 27-29 September 2010, IOC-UNESCO headquarters, Paris, France


2nd ICSU visioning meeting: Visioning Open Forum and Sponsors Meeting, June 2010, IOC-UNESCO headquarters, Paris, France

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18th meeting of the WCRP CLIVAR Scientific Steering Group (IOC, Paris 2-5 May 2011)

WCRP Open Science Conference. (24-28 October 2011 Denver, Colorado, USA). IOC is invited to address a key note lecture and is represented in the SSC.

2nd IOC-ICES-PICES International Symposium on the Effects of Climate Change on the World’s Oceans. 15-19 May 2012 (Yeosu, Korea) focussed on ocean climate variability and change, interactions with biogeochemical cycles, the coastal environment, and on marine ecosystems. WCRP is a co-sponsor, is represented on the scientific committee and will chair a theme session.


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• There is a need to increase efforts in regional modelling that aim to downscale the impacts of global climate models to regional scales and provide regional detail in finer resolution. This is specially important for developing countries.

• It is essential to do accurate regional estimations on the changing sea levels with the consequent impact on coastal regions; as well as potential changes in the frequency or intensity of extreme events such as tropical cyclones and their coastal impacts.

• There is a need to be established or strengthened more direct links between WCRP and IOC Regional Programmes and as well as National Oceanographic Committees.

• It will be desirable to widening the ocean climate research with inclusion of more activities aimed at adaptation and mitigation of climate change on the oceans.

WCRP evolution within the UNESCO-IOC priorities (Medium Term Strategy 2008-2013, Needs)

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IOC expectations for WCRP in the future (going beyond 2013, Strategic issues)

• IOC will continue to ensure that WCRP has both, a solid scientific basis as well as a firm governmental framework that encourage and facilitate collaborations with other appropriate components of the sponsors’ programmes.

• IOC recognises that fruitful collaboration can be established in many ways, and not only by funding large oceanographic programmes or proposing names for the JSC. Pilot projects, working groups and outreach activities will serve as well to a fruitful cooperation.

• IOC may help in the implementation of the new WCRP strategic plan by connecting scientific and social priorities with end users, linking WCRP with other IOC programmes, promoting networks of ocean observatories and platforms, and collaborating in outreach and capacity building programmes.

• IOC thinks that WCRP has to keep its autonomy in the GEC programmes, but a better communitation with these programmes or within the new structure has to be encouraged.

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• UNESCO/IOC wants to be proactive in the implementation of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS).

• IOC may suggest some scientific topics, but we would like to listen also which are the priorities of WCRP and accommodate this collaboration to the interest of both.

• Some topics of mutual interest for future collaboration:

• Strength of Stratification in temperate seas and oceanic gyres

• Upwelling systems and changes in wind regimes

• Thermohaline circulation

• Sea Level Rise (IOC-WCRP WG established in 2009)

• Outreach of scientific knowledge (policy papers, brochures, sci. journals)

IOC expectations for WCRP in the future (going beyond 2013, Research and Services)

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IOC expectations for WCRP in the future (going beyond 2013, Research and Services)

Ranking of grand challenges after the voting process 1. Prediction of extremes (9.5)2. Ice sheets dynamics and sea level rise (8.5)3. Actionable decadal predictions (8)4. Access to availability of fresh water in a changing climate (8)5. Seasonal prediction of tropical cyclone landfall (7.5)6. Monsoons (7)

25 Grand Challenges were proposed, discussed and voted during last JSC WCRP meeeting (Exeter, 4-8 April 2011).

CLIVAR suggestions (Grand Challenges) matches IOC priorities

How will CLIVAR engage or address these Grand Challenges?

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An overview of IOC activities

Thank youwww.ioc-unesco.org

IOC and WCRP: common goals in climate science and services Dr. J. Luis Valdés

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