Societal and Economic Research and Applications Working Group (SERA WG)

Brian Mills

Chair, WWRP-SERA WG

Adaptation and Impacts Research, Climate Research DivisionEnvironment Canadac/o Faculty of Environment, University of WaterlooWaterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1Brian.Mills@ec.gc.ca

http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/arep/wwrp/new/weather_society.html

The primary purpose of the WG SERA is to advance the science of the social and economic application of weather-related information and services. This will be accomplished in part through the development, review and promotion of societal and economic-related demonstration projects focused on high-impact weather (HIW) and information.

SERA (WWRP Strategic Plan)

Core Membership• social scientists • users • engagers

WWRP Expert Liaison (Verification)

WWRP Expert Liaison (THORPEX-TIGGE)

WWRP Expert Liaison (Mesoscale Weather, THORPEX-RCs,etc.)

Research & Application Interest

Groups

Projects, Demonstrations &

Testbeds

WMO Programme Management (THORPEX-EC, WMO Forum/PWS, CCl-

OPAGs3/4…)

Other Connections (IFRC, IAEM, Earth System Science Partnership, GEO, WHO,

WTO, World Bank, NMHAs, industry organizations, IIASA, etc.)

ICSU/ISSC/ISDR Integrated Research on

Disaster Risk (IRDR)

Structure

1. Social, economic or decision scientists (i.e., from anthropology, applied health, communications, economics, geography, management sciences, sociology, psychology, or similar disciplines) or other researchers with experience applying social science methods and techniques to weather-related issues

2. Representatives of private, public or non-government sector organization that engages users in the development, application, and beneficial use of weather and related information, products and services

3. Representatives of a user or community of users that benefits directly or indirectly from weather and related information, products and services

Membership

L-R: Joanne Robbins, Jacqueline Frick, Linda Anderson-Berry, Haleh Kootval, Brian Mills, Angelika Wirtz, Kwabena Anaman.

Not pictured: Paul Kovacs, Jeffrey Lazo, Nanette Lomarda, Eugene Poolman, Michael Staudinger

• Mortality, morbidity, and significant loss of property

• Critical infrastructure and resources required to support communities and livelihoods (water, energy, food, transportation, housing/shelter)

• Disaster preparedness, response and recovery

Priority outcomes/issues/sectors

• External SERA website and associated resource clearinghouse. Work will begin early in 2011 to develop an externally-managed web site (and social media pages) with links to the WMO-WWRP site (on-going)

• Formalized joint membership and associated collaborations with ICSU/ISSC/UNISDR Integrated Research on Disaster Risk Programme (IRDR)

Activities

• Development of a publication Applications of seasonal to sub-seasonal weather and climate predictions: An annotated bibliography in support of the WWRP/WCRP project on seasonal prediction (2011)

• Preparation of a guidance document that can be used by project proponents in the design, costing and implementation of SERA elements of proposals seeking sanction from the WWRP (2011)

• SERA experts and practitioners meeting (Melbourne, 2012)

Activities

• Work with the co-chairs and volunteer members of the JWGFVR to develop a small, specific joint JWGFVR/SERA project focused on The Integrated Global Grand Ensemble (TIGGE) tropical cyclone tracks (CXML data) or heavy precipitation product (2011-12)

• Understanding the societal and economic dimensions of weather-related warning systems: A SERA Research Demonstration Project (RDP)

Activities

Candidate studies

• WWRP/Kenyan Met. Department Lake Victoria region research project

• WWRP/WCRP/THORPEX Sub-seasonal Prediction Project

• Polar Prediction Initiative

• Integrated Nowcasting for Central Europe Area (INCA-CE) project

• Severe Weather Forecast Demonstration Projects

• JCOMM/CHy Coastal Inundation FDP (Bangladesh, Dominican Rep.)

• South African/Southern Africa Flood Forecast Guidance projects

• Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics

• IRDR projects (forensic case studies)

• MeteoAlarm and similar NMHS efforts

Past Meetings

• Inaugural meeting 12-13 October, 2009, at the ITCP, Trieste, Italy (report http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/arep/wwrp/new/documents/WWRP-WG-SERA_Mtg1-report_final_Jan-10.pdf)

• Second meeting and joint session with the JWGFVR 27-29 September, 2010, at Météo France, Toulouse, France (report http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/arep/wwrp/new/documents/WWRP-WG-SERA_Mtg2-report_draft_7-Jan-11.pdf)

Past Meetings

• WWRP Thorpex/GEO/RIPIECSA Workshop on High Impact Weather Predictability and Information System for Africa, Trieste, Italy, 5-8 October, 2009.

• Shanghai World EXPO 2010 Nowcasting Service Demonstration Project (WENS) Science Steering Group (SSG) meeting, Shanghai, China, 27-29 October, 2009.

• Meeting of the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) Ad Hoc Group on Forensic Investigations into Natural Disasters, Toronto, Canada, 1-4 February, 2010.

• World Meteorological Organization (WMO) World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) Thorpex North America Regional Committee meeting, Cuernavaca, Mexico, 19-20 May, 2010.

• WWRP/WCRP Workshop on Sub-seasonal to Seasonal Prediction, UK Met Office, Exeter, 1-3 December, 2010.

Planned Meetings

• Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) Conference 2011 (Disaster Risk: Integrating Science and Practice) and Side meeting on joint IRDR and WWRP-SERA working group membership/activities, Beijing (2011)

• Third WWRP-SERA WG and SERA experts and practitioners meeting, Melbourne, Australia (2012)

• Fourth WWRP-SERA WG meeting and WAS*IS Canada session, Canada (tbd, 2012-13)

• Social Science for Weather Prediction training workshop (tbd, 2013)

Discussion

Brian Mills (Brian.Mills@ec.gc.ca)