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International Polar Year 2007–2008 - WMO

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360<br />

IPY 20 07–20 08<br />

during IPY (Chapter 3.5)<br />

• Arctic Sea Ice Outlook (Chapter 3.6)<br />

• Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW) (Chapter 3.7)<br />

• Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON)<br />

(Chapter 3.8)<br />

• Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program<br />

(Chapter 3.9)<br />

• Human-based observational activities and indigenous<br />

monitoring (Chapter 3.10)<br />

In most cases the description covers the process of<br />

initial establishment of each of the above-mentioned<br />

IPY <strong>2007–2008</strong> observational programmes and their<br />

implementation during the IPY period, and offers perspectives<br />

of their development as IPY ‘legacy initiatives’<br />

(e.g. Chapters 3.1, 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6). Other chapters<br />

provide a scientific guidance and/or recommendations<br />

to determine a transition to a sustainable observing<br />

system in the post-IPY era (e.g. Chapters 3.2, 3.3, 3.7,<br />

3.8 and 3.10).<br />

The last chapter in this section (Chapter 3.11) addresses<br />

the issues of the IPY <strong>2007–2008</strong> data management.<br />

From the very beginning of IPY <strong>2007–2008</strong>, the<br />

IPY planners saw data as a vital legacy of the process,<br />

notably stating in “A Framework for the <strong>International</strong><br />

<strong>Polar</strong> <strong>Year</strong> <strong>2007–2008</strong>” that “In fifty years time the data<br />

resulting from IPY <strong>2007–2008</strong> may be seen as the most<br />

important single outcome of the programme.” (Rapley<br />

et al., 2004). On behalf of the JC, the Subcommittee<br />

on Data Management developed a Data Policy and<br />

Data Strategy and worked closely with the various<br />

IPY project leaders to ensure to the extent possible that<br />

data gathered during IPY was appropriately archived<br />

and readily available. Chapter 3.11 reviews the success<br />

of the data strategy and policy, and makes a number<br />

of key recommendations for the way forward that - if<br />

implemented by national programmes - will greatly<br />

aid the dissemination, sharing and wider use of IPY<br />

<strong>2007–2008</strong> data.<br />

Recommendations offered in Chapter 3.11 could<br />

form the basis for a more strategic approach to data<br />

and information management in the polar regions,<br />

especially in the Arctic. The Scientific Committee on<br />

Antarctic Research (SCAR) used the opportunity of<br />

IPY <strong>2007–2008</strong> to develop its own comprehensive<br />

data and information management strategy for the<br />

Antarctic, (see http://scadm.scar.org/scadm/scar_dis.<br />

html). ICSU has followed up the recommendations<br />

of the IPY Data Subcommittee by creating its<br />

own committee to develop the notion of a ‘<strong>Polar</strong><br />

Information Commons’ to enable widespread access<br />

to data and information in the polar regions. Successful<br />

development and application of these various aspects<br />

of the IPY data legacy will bring widespread benefits<br />

to scientists, national operators, indigenous peoples,<br />

and intergovernmental groups (such as Arctic Council<br />

and Antarctic Treaty Parties).<br />

In concluding this introductory section to eleven<br />

thematic chapters to follow, we note that it deliberately<br />

focuses rather on the processes used during the IPY<br />

<strong>2007–2008</strong> period to upgrade, expand or establish observing<br />

and/or data management systems that could<br />

be expected to form the basis for an IPY legacy of improved<br />

observing networks and data management.<br />

The chapters thus do not stand alone, but should be<br />

read in conjunction with complementary chapters<br />

describing the science and the outcomes of project<br />

work. Publications produced during the IPY period, or<br />

about to be produced as a result of IPY, provide detailed<br />

descriptions of design plans, like those for SOOS<br />

(see www.scar.org/soos), and CryOS (see www.scar.<br />

org/researchgroups/physicalscience/ for The Cryosphere<br />

Observing Plan), and readers seeking that level<br />

of detail are encouraged to search elsewhere. It was<br />

not our intention to duplicate those descriptions. Instead<br />

we thought it important for those planning future<br />

IPYs to set down here the process by which the<br />

present constellation of observing systems and data<br />

management plans was designed.<br />

References<br />

Rapley, C., R. Bell, I. Allison, P. Bindschadler, G. Casassa,<br />

S. Chown, G. Duhaime, V. Kotlyakov, M. Kuhn, O.<br />

Orheim, P. Ch. Pandey, H. Petersen, H. Schalke, W.<br />

Janoschek, E. Sarukhanian and Zh. Zhang, 2004.<br />

A Framework for the <strong>International</strong> <strong>Polar</strong> <strong>Year</strong> 2007–<br />

2008. Produced by the ICSU IPY <strong>2007–2008</strong> Planning<br />

Group. ICSU: Paris, 57 pp. http://classic.ipy.org/<br />

development/framework/framework.pdf

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