GCOS Implementation Plan - WMO

Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC
(2010 Update)
• Internal metrics that reflect the state and the degree of implementation of an observing system or
network such as numbers and quality of available observations; the effectiveness of data
exchange, archiving and quality control, or the number of climate-quality analysis products, or
• External metrics, such as national reports on systematic observation of the climate system to the
UNFCCC, regular assessments by the IPCC, evaluations from the scientific community (e.g., by
WCRP), inputs from monitoring centres for GCOS networks and component networks, or inputs
from the internationally-designated data and archive centres. 42
The further development of techniques and processes to adequately monitor all observational data
streams for time dependent biases and the detection of systematic errors is necessary in measuring
progress and assessing implementation. The Plan calls upon all observing network and system
operators to ensure that appropriate data quality monitoring for application to climate is an integral
part of all observing programmes.
2.8. Cost Definitions
The estimated costs for implementing Actions in this Plan (Actions are given in sections 3 to 6 within
boxed text) are additional annual costs on top of the costs of existing 43 networks, systems, and
activities that are required to address climate needs but that are in many cases not specifically
designed for climate purposes. These include costs for augmenting existing systems in support of
climate needs, for continuing some existing networks, systems, and activities undertaken for research
purposes with no plans for continuity, for the transition of systems from research to operations, and for
new systems needed to satisfy climate needs. For example, the cost for a weather satellite and its
ground segment are not considered; only the extra cost to make this satellite ‘climate-worthy’ is
estimated. The cost for something entirely new required for climate that is not within current plans or
budgets is fully counted (this applies to many of the ocean and terrestrial domain Actions).
Figure 2 schematically illustrates the cost estimates in this Plan within four cost categories (satelliterelated,
open-ocean related, related to enhancements in developing countries, and related to
enhancements in developed countries). The estimates were calculated by adding up, by category, the
estimated costs for all Actions proposed in the Plan (see Appendix 6 for details). For relevant Actions,
estimates have been made of the share of additional annual expenditure needed within the national
territories of non-Annex-I 44 (mostly developing) countries and Annex-I (developed) countries
respectively. Other Actions require funding for satellite-related and open ocean-related systems and
activities, which is mostly, but not exclusively, provided by developed countries. The breakdown of
costs was made in response to a SBSTA request, which, at its 30 th session, asked the GCOS
Steering Committee to provide estimates “by region and observing system and between developed
and developed countries.”
The lower part of the bar in Figure 2 shows current expenditures for observing networks, systems and
activities that are maintained primarily for weather and environmental monitoring purposes, but that
are also important for climate. Table 4 provides a summary of the costs of undertaking all Actions
proposed in this Plan within cross-cutting, atmospheric, oceanic, and terrestrial domains. There are
138 Actions in this Plan, 23 of which address GCOS-wide common over-arching and cross-cutting
issues, 34 are Actions specifically addressing the atmospheric domain, 41 focus on the oceanic
domain, and 40 focus on the terrestrial domain. Costs for each Action are estimated in ranges from
less than 1 million (M) US dollars (US$), 1-10M US$, 10-30M US$, 30-100M US$, and 100-300M
US$ per year.
42 See Table 10, Tables 11 and 12, and Table 14.
43 Funding for these existing networks, systems, and activities is not necessarily secured in the future.
44 Appendix 7 lists all Annex-I and non-Annex-I Parties to the UNFCCC.
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