World Meteorological OrganizationWorking together in weather, climate and water

WIGOS – WMO Foundation for Meeting the Observing needs of Weather, Climate, Water and Environment Services

--Presentation at First Asia CryoNet Workshop

Dr Wenjian ZhangDr Wenjian Zhang

Observing and Information Systems DepartmentObserving and Information Systems DepartmentWorld Meteorological Organization (WMO)World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/wigos/

WMO

Outline

• WMO Vision and Priorities• Background of WMO Integrated

Global Observing System -WIGOS• WIGOS Key Activity Areas and

Major Progress• Summary

WMO/OMM

WMO in The United Nations SystemInternational

Courtof Justice

GeneralAssembly

Economic and Social Council

SecurityCouncil

Secretariat TrusteeshipCouncil

Main and other sessional committees Standing committees and ad-hoc bodies Other subsidiary organs and related bodies

UNRWA

IAEA

INSTRAW UNCHS UNCTAD UNDCP UNDP UNEP UNFPA UNHCR UNICEF UNIFEM UNITAR UNU WFC

UNTSO UNMOGIP UNFICYP UNDOF UNIFIL UNIKOM UNAVEM II ONUSAL MINURSO UNPROFOR UNOSOM II UNOMIG UNOMIL UNMIH UNAMIR UNMOT

WFP ITC

Military Staff Committe Standing committees and ad-hoc bodies

FUNCTIONAL COMMISIONS REGIONAL COMMISSIONS SESSIONAL AND STANDING COMMITTEES EXPERT, AD-HOC AND RELATED BODIES

ILO FAO UNESCO(IOC) WHO

World Bank Group IBRD IDA IFC MIGA

IMF ICAO UPU ITU WMO World Meteorological Organization IMO WIPO IFAD UNIDO WTO

UN programmes and organs (representative list only)

Specialized agencies and other autonomous organizations within the system

Other commissions, committees and ad-hoc related bodies

WMO in Brief• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

is the UN system's authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, the climate it produces and the resulting distribution of water resources.

• The vision of WMO is to provide world leadership in expertise and international cooperation in weather, climate, hydrology and water resources and related environmental issues and thereby contribute to the safety and well-being of people throughout the world and to the economic benefit of all nations

Organizational Structure of WMO (191 Members )

CONGRESSCONGRESS

ExecutiveExecutive CouncilCouncil

6 Regional Associations6 Regional Associations 8 Technical Commissions8 Technical Commissions

Working Groups Rapporteurs

Working Groups Rapporteurs

Other BodiesJSC-WCRP , IPCCJSTC-GCOS

Working GroupsPanel of Experts

Secretary-GeneralSecretary-GeneralSecretariatSecretariat

WMO/OMM

6 6 Regional Associations

R.A. IR.A. IAfricaAfrica(56 Members(56 Members))

R.A.IIIR.A.IIISouth AmericaSouth America(13 Members)(13 Members)

R.A. VR.A. VSouth-West PacificSouth-West Pacific(22 Members)(22 Members)

R.A. VIR.A. VIEuropeEurope(50 Members)(50 Members)

R.A. IVR.A. IVNorth America, North America, Central AmericaCentral AmericaAnd the And the CaribbeanCaribbean(25 Members)(25 Members)

R.A. IIR.A. IIAsiaAsia(35 Members)(35 Members)

WMO/OMM

8 8 Technical Commissions

Basic Commissions

• Commission for Basic Systems (CBS)

• Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observations (CIMO)

• Commission for Hydrology (CHy)

• Commission for Atmospheric Sciences (CAS)

Applications Commissions

• Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology (CAeM)

• Commission for Agricultural Meteorology (CAgM)

• Joint WMO/IOC technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM)

• Commission for Climatology (CCl)

WMO/OMM

WMO Programmes

World Weather Watch World Weather Watch （（ WWWWWW）） Programme Programme

WMO Space Programme WMO Space Programme

Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation ProgrammeNatural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Programme

Education and Training ProgrammeEducation and Training ProgrammeTechnical Cooperation ProgrammeTechnical Cooperation Programme

Regional ProgrammeRegional Programme

WorldWorldClimateClimate

ProgrammeProgramme

AtmosphericAtmosphericResearch Research

and and EnvironmentEnvironmentProgrammeProgramme

ApplicationsApplicationsofof

MeteorologyMeteorologyProgrammeProgramme

HydrologyHydrologyandand

WaterWaterResourcesResourcesProgrammeProgramme

WMO/OMM

10

WMO Priorities:2012-2015

Global Framework for Climate Services - GFCS WMO Integrated Global Observing System

(WIGOS)/WMO Information System (WIS) Disaster Risk Reduction-DRR Capacity Development- CD Aeronautical Meteorology

Outline

• WMO Vision and PrioritiesWMO Vision and Priorities• Background of WMO Integrated

Global Observing System -WIGOS• WIGOS Key Activity Areas and

Major Progress• Summary

A challenge:

The evolving observing systems

The continuing changing observing systemCourtesy, S. Brönnimann

WWMOMO IINTEGRATED NTEGRATED GGLOBAL LOBAL OOBSERVING BSERVING SSYSTEM YSTEM

(WIGOS) is both improving synergy and enhancing (WIGOS) is both improving synergy and enhancing capabilities of all observationscapabilities of all observations

WIGOS Global Observing Components

Global Observing Systems (WWW/GOS) RBSN, RBCN (>10,000 stations,1,000 upper-air) AMDAR (39754/day) Ship & Marine obs (30417/day) Surface-based remote sensing Meso-scale networks

WMO Space Programme Observing component of Global Atmospheric

Watch (GAW) Hydrological Observations (including WHYCOS) Observing component of Global Cryosphere Watch

(GCW)

What are the problems? Globally

• Lack of integrated coordination & management• No integrated design for meeting multi-

functional needs• No integrated information source • No integrated Quality management• No integrated vision for future development• No integrated implementation coordination• ……..GFCS and new initiatives challenge us..

A historic event (31 Aug–4 Sept, 2009, Geneva)

The GFCS initial priority areasProvide challenges & opportunities for new partnership to

address new observational requirements via user communities

Agriculture Water

HealthDisaster Risk Reduction

http://www.wmo.int/gfcs

GFCS Implementation Plan identified Some Key Challenges

• Data: the current availability and quality of climate observations and impacts data are inadequate for large parts of the globe.

• Partnership: interactions between climate service users and providers are not always well developed, and user requirements are not always adequately understood and addressed.

• Quality: operational climate services are lagging advances in climate and applications sciences, and the spatial and temporal resolution of information is often insufficient to match user requirements.

GFCS Implementation Plan- PillarsCryosphere importance

• OBS: Both surface-based and space observations are required of physical and chemical climate variables of the atmosphere, land, and oceans, including hydrologic and carbon cycles and the cryosphere.

• Research: Among the many specific future products, WCRP with partners, such as the Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW), will aim to produce an assessment of the state of the cryosphere in the 21st century with estimates of cryospheric contributions to future water resources and an assessment of regional variations in sea-level rise with guidance on expected sea-level extremes.

GFCS Implementation PlanCryosphere importance

• The cryosphere can have direct impacts on fresh water availability and therefore potentially on food security and health. Interdisciplinary coordination and collaboration across all priority areas is therefore crucial to enhancing synergies and avoiding duplication.

• Such long-term observations (which also include the hydrosphere, biosphere and cryosphere) are vital as a foundation for monitoring climate, climate variability and climate change, for evaluating the effectiveness of policies to adapt to climate change, for climate research and for providing initial states for (and validation of) climate prediction models.

WMO OMM

20

Structure of Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS)

Space and surface observations

Need an Integrated Global Observing System to meet all requirements in a cost –

effective manner

WMO Cg-16 (2011) decisions to Implement

WWMOMO IINTEGRATED NTEGRATED GGLOBAL LOBAL

OOBSERVING BSERVING SSYSTEM YSTEM

(WIGOS)(WIGOS)The key word is Integration:

promote synergy among systems

The whole is more than the sum of the parts--Aristotle

World Weather Watch

GOSGOS

GDPFSGDPFS

GTSGTS

WIGOSWIGOS

GCWGCWGAWGAW

Hydro OS

Hydro OS

WISWIS

GCOSPartners

Co-sponsors

WIGOS: A future observing framework for WMO

WIGOS Vision and Congress Decisions/Guidance

• The WIGOS vision calls for:– An integrated, coordinated and comprehensive observing

system to satisfy, in a cost-effective and sustained manner, the evolving observing requirements of Members in delivering their:

• Weather• Climate• Water and related environmental services.

• Furthermore, WIGOS will provide a framework for enabling the integration and optimized evolution of WMO observing systems, and of WMO’s collaboration with co-sponsored systems.

Outline

• WMO Vision and PrioritiesWMO Vision and Priorities• Background of WMO Integrated Background of WMO Integrated

Global Observing System Global Observing System -WIGOS-WIGOS

• WIGOS Key Activity Areas and Major Progress

• Summary

WMO OMM

EC 64 (2012) approved WIGOS Framework Implementation Plan (Global plan)

CONTENTS

1. Introduction and Background

2. Key Activity Areas for WIGOS Implementation

3. Project Management

4. Implementation

5. Resources

6. Risk Management

7. Outlook

Annexes

KEY ACTIVITY AREAS 1) Management of WIGOS implementation

(EC, RAs, TCs, ICG)2) Collaboration with WMO and co-

sponsored observing systems 3) Design, planning and optimized

evolution4) Integrated Observing System operation

and maintenance5) Integrated Quality Management6) Standardization, system interoperability

and data compatibility7) The WIGOS Operational Information

Resource 8) Data and metadata management,

delivery and archival9) Capacity development10) Communication and outreach

26

What does Integration mean? WMO

Activities aiming at:• Integrated Coordination and

Management: Coordinated Mechanism=Inter-Commission Group on WIGOS (ICG-WIGOS, GCW rep.), Project Oversight Board on WIGOS: integrating people working together !!

• Integrated Regulation and Manual: Development of WIGOS Technical Regulation and Manuals

Three Legal Governance Pillars of WMO

Since 1951, WMO Cg-I

WMO

DRAFT STRUCTURE OF WIGOS SECTIONS IN WMO TR - OUTLINE

1. INTRODUCTION 1. Purpose of WIGOS 2. WIGOS component observing systems

1. Global Observing System (GOS)2. Global Atmosphere Watch (observing component of GAW)3. WMO Hydrological Observations (not only WHYCOS ?)4. Global Cryosphere Watch (observing component of GCW)

3. Collaboration with co-sponsored and non-WMO observing system4. Governance and management

1. COMMON ATTRIBUTES OF COMPONENT SYSTEMS1. Requirements 2. Design, planning and evolution3. Instrumentation and Methods of Observation4. Operations5. Observational Metadata 6. Quality Management7. Capacity Development

2. COMMON ATTRIBUTES SPECIFIC TO THE SURFACE-BASED SUB-SYSTEM OF WIGOS3. COMMON ATTRIBUTES SPECIFIC TO THE SPACE-BASED SUB-SYSTEM OF WIGOS4. OBSERVING COMPONENT OF THE GLOBAL ATMOSPHERE WATCH (GAW) 5. OBSERVING COMPONENT OF THE GLOBAL CRYOSPHERE WATCH (GCW)6. GLOBAL OBSERVING SYSTEM (GOS) OF WWW7. WMO HYDROLOGICAL OBSERVING SYSTEM (not only WHYCOS ?)

Manage WIGOS Implementation through Integrated TR---Promote recommended to standard practices

Update WMO Technical Regulations: engage all observing systemsStandard practices and procedures Recommended practices and

procedures

necessary for Members to follow or implement

desirable for Members to follow or implement

distinguished by the use of the term shall distinguished by the use of the term should

status of requirements status of recommendations

defined in a technical resolution

Members shall do their utmost to implement

Members urged to comply with

Article 9(b) of the Convention is applicable Article 9(b) of the Convention is not applicable

Members shall inform SG of inability or impracticability of implementation

No requirement

GR 128 is applicable GR 128 is not applicable

30

What does Integration mean? WMO

Activities aiming at:• Integrated Observing

Information System: Development of the WIGOS Information Resource (WIR)-Cryosphere portal component

• Integrated Planning: Design, Planning and Optimized Evolution of WIGOS component observing systems (including space-based) according to all programmes requirements

Atmospheric Observations

Data Systems

Technology Development

OBSERVING SYSTEM TIMELINE

InnovationsBreakthrough

Efficiencies Cost

Mass Productions

Space Observations

Ocean Observations

Innovations

Breakthrough

Efficiencies Cost

Mass Productions

20th Century 21st Century

Discipline Specific View Whole System View

TechnologyDevelopment

We have some Global Earth Observations We don’t have:

From Tom Karl

32WCRP Open Science Conference October 24, 2011

Global Warming--Global Warming--Integrated ObservationsIntegrated ObservationsExample Challenge – Example Challenge – Purposeful reduction of Purposeful reduction of

structural and statistical monitoring errorsstructural and statistical monitoring errors

• Ten Indicators of a Warming World• Seven of these observed indicators would be expected to increase in a warming world,

and observations show that they are, in fact, increasing. • Three would be expected to decrease, and they are, in fact, decreasing.

From the 2009 State of the Climate Report

33

What does Integration mean? (cont.)WMO

Activities aiming at:

• Integrated Approach for Better Observations: Quality Management, Standardization, System Interoperability and Data Compatibility

• Integration at Data Level: Data discovery, delivery and archival

WCRP Grand Challenges

• Regional Climate Information

• Regional Sea-Level Rise

• Cryosphere in a Changing Climate

• Clouds, Circulation, and Climate Sensitivity

• Changes in Water Availability

• Science Underpinning the Prediction and Attribution of Extreme Events

Joey Comiso, NSAS/GSFC

Rongbuk glacier in 1968 (top) & 2007. The largest glacier on Mount Everest’s northern slopes feeds

Rongbuk River.

36WCRP Open Science Conference October 24, 2011

36

Operational observing Polar and Cryosphere from space

1979

2003

Observations are both: foundation and pioneer From Observing to monitoring, model input, and services

Understanding

Models

Predictions

ConsequencesValidation

Assimilation Initialization

Monitoring

Analysis

Observations

The availability of new observations strongly motivates advances in understanding, prediction, and application.

38WCRP Open Science Conference October 24, 2011

Qilian Glacier retreat (comparison 1988 vs 2005 )

WMO OMM

02/05/14 39

Qilian Mountain Glacier retreat (comparison 1988 vs 2005 )

WMO OMM

02/05/14 40

SUMMARY

• Benefits of WIGOS– Enhanced Members’ capability, in a cost-effective

manner, to meet expanding national mandates and achieve higher national and international visibility;

– WIGOS provides a process and framework for improved collaboration and coordination within and beyond WMO;

• WIGOS is both: challenges and opportunities for building up synergies and new capabilities among us, a true win-win strategy for our future

Thank you for your attention !

• if you want go far, go together !!

• If you want go fast, go alone;

Thank you

Thank you

World Meteorological Organization 7bis, avenue de la Paix CH-1211 Geneva 2Switzerland

Climate Services need whole Earth observations

CirculationSurface WindsPrecipitationReflection and TransmissionSurface TemperatureEvaporationCurrentsUpwelling

CirculationSurface WindsPrecipitationReflection and TransmissionSurface TemperatureEvaporationCurrentsUpwelling

InfiltrationInfiltrationRunoffRunoffNutrient LoadingNutrient LoadingSurface TemperatureSurface TemperatureCurrentsCurrents

InfiltrationInfiltrationRunoffRunoffNutrient LoadingNutrient LoadingSurface TemperatureSurface TemperatureCurrentsCurrents

Surface WindsPrecipitationReflection and TransmissionEvaporationTranspirationSurface Temperature

Surface WindsPrecipitationReflection and TransmissionEvaporationTranspirationSurface Temperature

LandLand

Ocean

Atmosphere