GCOS Implementation Plan - WMO

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Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC (2010 Update) moisture, lake levels, glaciers, and river discharge constitute critical components of the hydrological cycle, with often direct impact on water availability and, for instance, on droughts and floods. Land has a wide variety of natural features, slopes, vegetation and soils that affect water budgets, carbon fluxes, and the reflective properties of the surface. Land is often covered by vegetation; importantly, by now, almost 40% of the Earth’s land surface is under some form of management. Land-use changes the characteristics of the land surface and thus can induce important local climate effects, especially through changes in albedo, roughness, soil moisture and evapotranspiration. When large areas are concerned (e.g., as in tropical deforestation) regional and even global climate may be affected. Some land is covered by snow and ice on a seasonal basis, and this land features glaciers, ice sheets, permafrost, and frozen lakes. Snow and ice-albedo play an important role in the feedback to climate. Further, as land-based ice, such as a glacier, melts, it affects rivers and contributes directly to sea-level rise. Disturbances to land cover (vegetation change, fire, disease and pests) and soils (e.g., permafrost) have the capacity to alter climate but also respond to climate in a complex manner through changes in their biogeochemical and physical properties. Precise quantification of the rates of change of several land components is important to determine whether feedback or amplification mechanisms through terrestrial processes are operating within the climate system, such as positive feedback between temperature rise and the carbon cycle. Increasing significance is being placed on terrestrial data for both fundamental climate understanding and for use in impact and mitigation assessments. Atmospheric CO 2 is increasing on a global scale while natural sources, sinks, and stocks, and human interventions in the carbon cycle vary profoundly within regions. Assessments of regional carbon budgets help to identify the processes responsible for controlling larger-scale fluxes. A lack of reliable data at appropriate scales and resolutions prevents the scientific community from making accurate assessments for the entire globe, but regional-scale carbon budgets provide unique opportunities to independently verify and link methods and observations over a wide range of spatial scales. For example, it is possible to compare “top-down” atmospheric inversion estimates with land-based or ocean-based “bottom-up” direct observations of localized carbon fluxes. On land, as well as in the oceans, the basic components of such budgets include measurements of carbon stocks and exchanges with the atmosphere. The sensitivity of carbon pools to changing climate form highly uncertain components of the regional and global carbon cycles. The Coupled Carbon Cycle Climate Model Intercomparison Project (C 4 MIP) showed the large range of future predicted CO 2 concentration, as various models have different parameterizations of the climate-carbon system. It has become obvious from this intercomparison, however, that CO 2 levels may increase sharply in the future due to positive feedback between temperature rise and the carbon cycle. Foundations exist for both the in situ observing networks and the space-based observing components of the terrestrial domain ECVs, but these need to be strengthened. Improving understanding of the terrestrial components of the climate system and of the causes and responses of this system to change is vital to society, as is assessing the consequences of such change in adapting to and mitigating climate change. Better observations of the terrestrial carbon-related variables have assumed greatly increased relevance in the context of implementing the UNFCCC Bali Road Map. 89 6.1.1. Standards Many organizations make terrestrial observations, for a wide range of purposes. As a result, the same variable may be measured by different organizations using different measurement protocols. The resulting lack of homogeneous observations hinders many terrestrial applications and limits the scientific capacity to monitor the changes relevant to climate and to determine causes of land-surface changes. The Second Adequacy Report and the IP-04 noted the need for an international framework to: • Prepare and issue regulatory and guidance material for making terrestrial observations; 89 For details, including the first UNFCCC COP decision on reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries, see UNFCCC (2008): Report of the Conference of the Parties on its thirteenth session, held in Bali from 3 to 15 December 2007, Addendum, Part two: Decision 2/CP.13 (Reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries: approaches to stimulate action), FCCC/CP/2007/6/Add.1, http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2007/cop13/eng/06a01.pdf#page=9 104
Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC (2010 Update) • Establish common standards for networks, data management, and associated products and services; • Ensure compatibility with standards and initiatives; and • Seek hosts for designated International Data Centres addressing the full range of terrestrial domain ECVs. Following a request by the UNFCCC 90 regarding the development of such an international framework, the GTOS Secretariat in 2007 proposed three implementation options. These included an option that involves the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). With additional guidance provided by the SBSTA 27, GTOS and partners reached a consensus to proceed with developing a joint UN/ISO based framework for setting and maintaining standards for terrestrial observations of ECVs. The proposed framework foresees the establishment of a joint steering group, with specific roles for the participating UN organizations (in defining the requirements for standardisation and in providing technical inputs) and for the ISO (in leading the standards development effort). The ISO recognition of WMO as a standards-setting organization further strengthens the foundation for the proposed framework. Implementation of the framework is underway. An assessment of the status of the development of standards for each of the terrestrial ECVs has been made, 91 underpinning the technical work of the framework. Where necessary, the development of standards needs to be completed, and national bodies and research groups need to be engaged, through the proposed UN/ISO framework, to ensure that these standards are progressively and formally adopted by the diverse institutions involved in the terrestrial domain. Regular reports on progress in this domain are required. Action T1 Action: Ensure the development of observational standards and protocols for the each of the terrestrial ECVs; promote adoption of standards on a national level. Who: GTOS, in conjunction with the sponsors of the UN/ISO terrestrial framework (WMO, FAO, ICSU, UNEP, and UNESCO). Time-Frame: Develop a work plan for the development of standards by 2010; UN/ISO framework implemented by 2012; national-level adoption of standards by 2014 Performance Indicator: Number of terrestrial ECVs with international standards; uptake of standards by Parties (percentage of terrestrial ECV observations following standards). Annual Cost Implications: 92
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FOREWORD This 2010 Update of the Im
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