PROGRESS REPORT FOR INFORMATION PRESENTED AT THE 17 th SESSION OF REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN)

Transcription

1 PROGRESS REPORT FOR INFORMATION PRESENTED AT THE 17 th SESSION OF REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) (unedited)

2 RA IV-17/Doc. 2, DRAFT 2, p. 7 BACKGROUND INFORMATION NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SESSION REPORT PROVISIONAL ANNOTATED AGENDA 1. OPENING OF THE SESSION The seventeenth session of Regional Association IV (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) will open at 9.00 a.m. on Monday, 27 March 2017 in the San José Palacio Hotel, San José, Costa Rica. Information on material arrangements for the session is given in RA IV-17/INF. 1 (to be completed). 2. ORGANIZATION OF THE SESSION 2.1 Consideration of the report on credentials The representative of the Secretary-General will present the report on credentials taking into account the documents received prior to and during the session. The Association is invited to consider this report. 2.2 Adoption of the agenda In accordance with General Regulations 173 and 176, the provisional agenda will be submitted for approval by the association as soon as possible after the opening of the session and may be amended at any time during the course of the session. Additional items for the agenda may be forwarded by Members to the Secretariat before the session, but preferably not later than thirty days before the opening of the session. Working documents on additional items proposed by Members should be provided by the Member concerned as early as possible, but preferably not later than sixty days before the opening of the session. 2.3 Establishment of committees The Association will be invited to work in plenary throughout the session. Committees for the session will be established. These will include: (c) (d) Credentials Committee; Nomination Committee; Drafting Committee (if required); Coordination Committee. The Association may wish to nominate a Rapporteur on Previous Resolutions and Recommendations of the Association and relevant Resolutions of the Executive Council, and establish, for the duration of its session, other committees as it deems necessary. 2.4 Other organization matters The Association will agree upon: Working hours of the meetings: 9.30 a.m p.m. and 2.30 p.m p.m.; Tentative programme of work for the session.

3 RA IV-17/Doc. 2, DRAFT 2, p REPORT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION The report will deal with the activities of the Association and any other matters related to the Association since its sixteenth session. The Association normally will have a general discussion on the report by the president during the same plenary meeting and will refer any points requiring detailed study or subsequent action to the appropriate agenda items. 4. PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES REGIONAL ASPECTS 4.1 Disaster Risk Reduction, Resilience and Prevention focusing on impactbased decision support services Under this agenda item the Association is invited to discuss and make decisions, as necessary, on issues related to disaster risk reduction, resilience and prevention focusing on impact-based decision support services in connection with: (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) Implementation of WMO DRR Roadmap in RA IV including major activities on DRR Services; Public Weather Services including warning services; Flood Forecasting; Severe Weather Forecasting Demonstration Project (SWFDP); Tropical Cyclone Forecasting; Coastal Inundation Forecasting; Emergency Assistance including ERAs on all air-borne hazards. 4.2 Climate Services, Support to Climate Action and Climate Resilience Under this agenda item the Association is invited to discuss and make decisions, as necessary, on issues related to: (c) Paris Agreement; Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) and WMO contributions to the GFCS; Climate Services Information System (CSIS); 4.3 Observations and Data Exchange Under this agenda item the Association is invited to discuss and make decisions, as necessary, on issues related to: WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS) WMO Information System (WIS) 4.4 Service Quality and Service Delivery Under this agenda item the Association is invited to discuss and make decisions, as necessary, on issues related to: Implementation of WMO Strategy for Service Delivery including SEB studies in

4 RA IV-17/Doc. 2, DRAFT 2, p. 9 RA IV; (c) (d) (e) Meteorological services for aviation; Quality management in service provision; Meteorological services for agriculture; Meteorological services for marine operations. 4.5 Polar and High Mountain Regions Under this agenda item the Association is invited to discuss and make decisions, as necessary, on issues related to: Consider and act upon specific recommendations of the Executive Association Panel of Experts on Polar and High Mountain Observations, Research and Services, including regarding the development of the Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW), and its Cryonet. 4.6 Data Processing, Modelling and Forecasting Under this agenda item the Association is invited to discuss and make decisions, as necessary, on issues related to: Seamless and integrated Data-processing and Forecasting System; Weather forecasting including roles of RSMCs in the Region; Hydrology and water management. 4.8 Capacity Development WMO Capacity development priorities for Under this agenda item the Association is invited to discuss the completion of focal point for a successful implementation and operation of Country Profile Database (CPDB) and consider recommendations of the EC Panel of Experts on Capacity Development including capacity development priorities for and Capacity Development Strategy Implementation Plan Education and training The Association is further invited to consider recommendations of the EC Panel of Experts on Education and Training and to: Make recommendations on how to enhance support to NMHSs through management training; Identification of regional priorities on education and training in the Region; Enhancing the performance of WMO Regional Training Centres (RTCs) in the Region; Other recommendations, which may be submitted by the Panel for Association action. (c) Resource mobilization The Association is invited to review from the regional perspectives the resource mobilization strategy for the Organization for endorsed

5 RA IV-17/Doc. 2, DRAFT 2, p. 10 by EC Partnerships Under this agenda item the Association is invited to: Provide directions for strengthening WMO cooperation with the UN system and other international organizations; Guide a comprehensive review of existing MoUs established by the Organization and principles for the development of cooperation agreements; Provide direction on recognition of partner organizations contributing to the WMO Programmes and constituent bodies and vice versa; Provide guidance for positioning and strengthening WMO contribution to, and support Members implementation of, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 5. IMPROVED EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS 5.1 WMO strategic and operating plan regional aspects Under this agenda item, the Association will be invited to discuss on the issues related to the WMO Strategic and Operational Planning processes and the WMO Strategic and Operating Plan focusing on the regional aspects. The Association will review the RA IV Operating Plan ( ) in comparison with the consolidated WMO Operating Plan and the status of implementation of the plan, and will agree on principles of further planning of activities during the next intersessional period. 5.2 Internal matters of the Association Under this agenda item the Association will address the need for enhancing its working mechanisms towards an action and results-oriented approach that would bring more benefits to its Members. This would include a critical analysis of conduct of regional events and other activities, the role and operation of the Management Group and other subsidiary bodies using the lessons learnt during the preceding intersessional period. The Association will decide on the new structure and tasks of its subsidiary bodies for the next intersessional period. The Association will also be invited to discuss the general guidelines on the priorities in RA IV for the next fiscal period from 2020 to 2023 for the contribution to the next WMO strategic and operating plans, which need to be developed before the eighteenth session of Congress in EMERGING ISSUES AND SPECIFIC CHALLENGES 6.1 Private sector engagement Under this agenda item the Association is invited to: Review the position paper prepared by EC-68 and provide directions from the regional perspectives regarding the development of Public-Private Partnerships related to data, service delivery and other areas of WMO mandate. 6.2 Gender equality The Association will be invited to:

6 RA IV-17/Doc. 2, DRAFT 2, p. 11 Recall Decision 77 (EC-68) on WMO Gender Action Plan (GAP) and to identify priority actions from the Action Plan to be implemented in RA IV in ; Discuss the current status of gender equality in RA IV regarding representation and participation in the WMO activities; Designate the RA IV Gender Coordinator. 7. WMO REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE AMERICAS INCLUDING THE WMO OFFICE FOR NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN The Association will review the performance of the Regional Office for the Americas and the WMO Office for North America, Central America and the Caribbean in conducting its tasks within the framework of Regional Programmes and the Technical Cooperation Programmes as decided by Sixteenth Congress and Seventeenth Congress. The Association will advise on enhancing the role and performance of the Regional Office as the main focal point for the regional activities. 8. REVIEW OF PREVIOUS RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ASSOCIATION AND OF RELEVANT EXECUTIVE COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS The Association will be invited to review its resolutions which are presently in force, in accordance with the provisions of Regulation 156(9) of the General Regulations and Rule 27 of its Rules of Procedure. The Association will review the currently valid resolutions and recommendations adopted before this session, along with the relevant resolutions of the Executive Council, with a view to deciding which of them should be kept in force and which should be considered obsolete. A document on this subject will be presented by the Secretariat as a basis for discussions. 9. ELECTION OF OFFICERS The Association will elect a president and a vice-president to hold office until the end of the next session of the Association. Details regarding eligibility and procedures for election are given in Regulations 11, 27, 57-65, 80-90, 141, 168, 174(11) of the General Regulations, Convention Part V article 6, as well as the relevant provisions of Resolution 37 (Cg-XI) concerning the eligibility of candidates for these offices. 10. DATE AND PLACE OF THE EIGHTEENTH SESSION The Association will be invited to set the tentative dates for its eighteenth session in order to facilitate organizational arrangements. Taking into consideration any relevant decisions taken by the Association on the future conduct of its session, Members attending the session will be invited to present invitations from their Governments for hosting the eighteenth session of Regional Association IV. Members interested in extending such invitation should take into consideration the provisions of Regulations 18, 169, 170 and 171 of the General Regulations. The Association may wish to record any such invitations or suggestions in the report of the session. 11. CLOSURE OF THE SESSION The seventeenth session of the Association is scheduled to close on Friday, 31 March 2017.

7 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.2(1), DRAFT 1, p. 5 BACKGROUND INFORMATION SUPPORTING THE DECISION NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SESSION REPORT References: 1. Paris Agreement (All language versions) 2. Report of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties on its twenty-first session All COP 21 Outcomes (2015) 4. All COP 22 Outcomes (2016) 5. The role of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in Implementation of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs)- Full Analysis Report NMHSs_analysis_Report.pdf?KH4D8KTrtP_n0I2t5KOfuGKIjkTGLLwL 6. WMO Key Messages at COP 22 Introduction 1. Outcome of UNFCCC COP 21- Paris Agreement (Paris, France, 30 November 11 December 2015) The most important outcome of COP 21 is the Paris Agreement, which represents the culmination of more than two decades of negotiations by Parties. The full text of the Agreement can be accessed in the following link: The Paris Agreement is composed of 16 preamble clauses and 29 operative clauses (Articles). The preamble addresses, among others: that the Agreement is guided by the Convention s principles, including the principle of equity and common, but differentiated, responsibilities. It also emphasizes the need for an effective and progressive response to the urgent threat of climate change on the basis of the best scientific knowledge. A main decision in Article 2 (purpose) of the Paris Agreement is holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. 2. Outcomes of the UNFCCC COP 22 (Marrakech, Morocco, 7-18 November 2016) relevant to WMO Members The twenty-second session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP 22) was held in conjunction with the twelfth meeting

8 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.2(1), DRAFT 1, p. 6 of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 12) and the first session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Paris Agreement (CMA 1). The Conference also included the following sessions: The forty-fifth session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 45); The forty-fifth session of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 45); (c) The first session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA 1-2). COP 22 adopted Decision 19/CP.22 entitled Implementation of the Global Observing System for Climate, following the recommendation of SBSTA 45. COP 22 welcomed the implementation plan of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) and noted with appreciation the assessment of observations that provides for multiple uses. COP 22 noted the introduction of new ECVs and the plan s wider consideration of atmospheric, oceanic and terrestrial observation requirements and their connection for mitigation and adaptation, in particular for early warning systems, including the relationship of ECVs for the Earth s water, carbon and energy cycles. The following COP 22 related developments are particularly important for WMO and its Members: 2.1 Forty-fifth session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 45) Research and systematic observation The SBSTA welcomed the submissions from WMO: The Global Climate in and the WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, and invited WMO to provide submissions on the state of the global climate on a regular basis, as appropriate, at subsequent sessions of the SBSTA. Under SBSTA, Parties noted the need for regional workshops, as identified in the plan and invited GCOS to organize such workshops in collaboration with relevant partners, including UNFCCC, IPCC and regional climate centres. SBSTA 45 recognized the role of WCRP and the wider research community in developing the new essential climate variables identified in the GCOS Implementation Plan 2016 with a view to supporting decision-making on adaptation and mitigation Forty-fifth session of the Subsidiary body for Implementation (SBI 45) National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) The SBI welcomed the progress made by the Adaptation Committee and the Least Developed Countries Expert Group in the fulfilment of their respective mandates relating to providing information on accessing funding from the Green Climate Fund for the process to formulate and implement national adaptation plans. SBI noted that most countries that have embarked on the process to formulate and implement national adaptation plans are supported either by bilateral and multilateral agencies, or by domestic resources The High Level Segment The joint high-level segment under the COP, CMP and CMA brought together over 70 heads of state and government, in addition to ministers and heads of delegation, to generate political

9 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.2(1), DRAFT 1, p. 7 will. The high-level outcome of COP 22 is called Marrakech Action Proclamation for Our Climate and Sustainable Development. amation.pdf The Proclamation was issued by heads of states and delegations on the occasion of the first session of the Conference of Parties serving as the Meeting of the Paris Agreement. It recognized extraordinary momentum on climate change worldwide, and in many multilateral fora. The Proclamation states that This momentum is irreversible it is being driven not only by governments, but by science, business and global action of all types at all levels. The Marrakech Proclamation emphasized the task to rapidly build on that momentum of the Paris Agreement, together, moving forward purposefully to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to foster adaptation efforts, thereby benefiting and supporting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals.

10 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.2(2), DRAFT 1, p. 4 BACKGROUND INFORMATION SUPPORTING DECISION NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SESSION REPORT Summary of results-based framework and mechanism for WMO contributions to the GFCS 1. Through Resolution 6 (EC-67), the Executive Council established a mechanism to advance WMO contributions to the GFCS through the regular joint meetings of presidents of regional associations and presidents of technical commissions. 2. Through Decision 16 (EC-68), the Executive Council further endorsed a countryfocused results-based framework for WMO support to GFCS implementation. 3. The results-based framework has two goals: Climate services initiated or strengthened in selected countries at a scale and scope sufficient to significantly improve climate-related outcomes in priority climate-sensitive sectors (Target: 6-7 countries); Demonstration of enabling and facilitation mechanisms for the developing and/or strengthening of knowledge, tools, methods, systems, institutional infrastructure, operating principles, policies, partnerships and resources in place for sustaining GFCS implementation on a wide scale. 4. The framework s five objectives are: (c) (d) (e) Country level Institutional, technical, financial and human resources mobilized for climate services planning, implementation and results monitoring targeting climate-sensitive national priorities; Practice support Human resources, tools, methodologies, guidelines and capacity development materials needed to support and quality assure countrylevel implementation available; Institutional architecture Institutional delivery systems in place and engaged at regional and global level for country-level implementation support and upscaling, including capacity development support services, and for provision of "surrogate" services as necessary to complement national (and regional) capabilities; Policy support International policy environment, including as related to funding, aligned with, and supportive of, GFCS and framework implementation; Management Management and coordination arrangements and resources in place to support framework implementation and link it to complementary partner efforts. 5. The results-based framework focuses on the achievement of results on two levels: The first, corresponding to the first goal of the framework, relies on coordinated and comprehensive support by WMO, in collaboration with GFCS partner organizations, to demonstrate that significant improvements in climate-related development outcomes can be achieved through the provision and use of climate services in selected countries. Countries in which GFCS Partners Advisory Committee (PAC) members agreed to coordinate their efforts include Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Bhutan, Papua New Guinea, Moldova and Dominica. Colombia and Peru were additionally identified through WMO processes for further WMO support so that Regional Association III would also be represented;

11 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.2(2), DRAFT 1, p. 5 The second goal of the results-based framework focuses on upscaling tools, methods, results and lessons learned in order to support enhanced provision of climate services on a widespread basis. 6. Additional activities focus on creating an enabling international policy environment for the GFCS and climate services, in support of the achievement of objective 4 of the framework. Objective 5, the management objective, is supported by a mechanism consisting of regional association working groups and focal points on climate and the GFCS, the presidents of regional associations and presidents of technical commissions, and the WMO and GFCS Secretariats. Ongoing and planned investments 1. RA IV countries currently enjoy USD 533 million in climate change adaptation and climate resilience investment in 25 projects. This figure reflects financing from just two sources: The Pilot Programme on Climate Resilience (PPCR) USD 365,300,000; The Global Environment Facility (GEF) USD 158,278, Ongoing WMO Programmes contribute another USD 10,014,960, and substantial additional resources are being programmed through bi-lateral sources. 3. The World Bank Group has received most of the funds disbursed from the GEF and PPCR. RA IV: Total Funding (GEF, PPCR) UNDP FAO UNEP WBG IDB 4. These funding sources and associated projects constitute an important potential resource for climate services implementation.

12 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.3(1), APPROVED, p. 53 BACKGROUND INFORMATION SUPPORTING DECISIONS/RESOLUTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SESSION REPORT References: 1. Regional Association IV (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) - Sixteenth session: Abridged final report with resolutions (WMO-No. 1117) 2. Seventeenth World Meteorological Congress: Abridged final report with resolutions (WMO- No. 1157) 3. Executive Council - Sixty-eighth session: Abridged final report with resolutions and decisions (WMO-No. 1168) 4. List of RBSN Stations 5. List of RBCN Stations 6. Annual Global Monitoring (AGM) results The Sixteenth Session of the Commission for Basic Systems (CBS-16), Guangzhou, China, November 2016, decision 5.4.1(4)/1 (CBS-16) Regional Basic Observing Network concept Regional Basic Synoptic Network (RBSN) and Regional Basic Climatological Network (RBCN) 1. Owing to the Association Members efforts, the Regional Basic Synoptic Network (RBSN) and Regional Basic Climatological Network (RBCN) have demonstrated an adequate performance. However, continued effort must be made by Members to improve sustainability, data availability and overall performance to a satisfactory level to meet service requirements. Regarding CLIMAT messages, greater efforts by Members must be made to ensure that their operational observing stations compile and transmit the climate-related messages according to existing WMO regulations, and the requirements of Resolution 60 (Cg-17). Quality management is a key activity area of the WIGOS framework Implementation Plan and improved monitoring is a significant element of this activity. 2. By adopting Resolution 4.3(1)/2 (RA IV-17), the Association is invited to approve the update of the RBSN and RBCN stations as given in Annexes I and II to this resolution. 3. The integrated WWW Monitoring (IWM) and the Annual Global Monitoring (AGM) of the operation of the WWW carried out on a quarterly basis and in October each year, respectively, provide information on the performance of the observing systems. The status and monitoring trends in the last 4 years are presented in the table below. For full details on IWM and AGM monitoring results (see reference above).

13 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.3(1), APPROVED, p. 54 Average Availability of SYNOP, TEMP and CLIMAT data at MTN centres from RA IV AGM/IWM: 1 to 15 October ( ) Year Surface (SYNOP) Upper-air (TEMP) CLIMAT Number of stations Reports received (%) Number of stations Reports received (%) Number of stations Reports received (%) % % % % % % % % % % % % Note: Results based on the RBSN/RBCN in RA IV Regional Basic Observing Network (RBON) 4. The existing RBSN and RBCN are based essentially on a design representing the late 1990s status of the observing networks. Also, the majority of stations in the RBSN and RBCN are multipurpose, serving both synoptic and climatological purposes. While the concepts behind the RBSN and RBCN are becoming outdated as Members implement a wider range of observing systems in integrated composite networks serving multiple purposes, the need to integrate the two networks into one Regional Basic Observing Network (RBON) is recognized under the WIGOS implementation. The stations/platforms currently comprising the RBSN and RBCN are therefore the primary candidates for the RBON, and are expected to constitute the backbone of the RBON. It is expected that the new re-designed RBON would also take into consideration the inclusion of new surface-based observing systems, such as weather radars, wind profiler systems, lightning detection systems, data buoys, voluntary observing ships and aircraft that make meteorological, climatological and marine observations. The network redesign would also be coordinated with satellite observations. The existing scheme of two separate networks (RBSN and RBCN) is expected to be continued until such time a new RBON is designed following the development of the RBON Concept as adopted by CBS-16 decision 5.4.1(4)/1. 5. Accordingly, the Association is invited to note that CBS-16 adopted decision 5.4.1(4)/1 endorsing the development of the RBON Concept. Corresponding standards and recommendations supported by best practices and procedures for implementation of the RBON by the Association will be incorporated into a new edition of the Manual on the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WMO-No. 1160) in RBON will lead to improved services by delivering more and improved observations to stakeholders, and enable the full benefit of regional observing capabilities to be realized. As it will also be a substantive and valuable subset of WIGOS, the Association is invited to adopt Decision 4.3(1)/2 (RA IV-17) and thereby (i) establish an RBON Pilot for RA IV to initially include the merging of all the Association s RBSN and RBCN stations, (ii) request the Association s Members to propose additional observing stations in the RBON Pilot, (iii) task the RA IV regional working body on WIS and WIGOS to recommend to the President of RA IV the list of stations to be included in the proposed RBON Pilot for RA IV, and (iv) authorize the President of RA IV to approve changes to the list of stations. Annex: 1

14 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.3(1), APPROVED, p. 55 Annex I (Annex to draft Decision 5.4.1(4)/1 (CBS-16)) THE REGIONAL BASIC OBSERVING NETWORK CONCEPT PAPER 1. Preamble The Regional Basic Synoptic Network (RBSN) and Regional Basic Climatological Network (RBCN) 14 consist of surface stations and upper-air stations designated by the regional associations. They have proven to be highly effective and made valuable regional contributions to the activities of WMO and its Members. The observations from these stations, which are maintained by WMO Members, have been exchanged globally in real-time without restriction. Originally designed to support operational meteorology and climatology, these observations have produced significant benefits across a wide range of applications. Additional and emerging requirements for observations across diverse application areas are driving the need to redefine the Regional Basic Synoptic and Climatological Networks. New and improved observational technologies provide the opportunity to reassess regional observational strategies. The WIGOS framework calls for a more integrated view of WMO observing systems to serve the needs of multiple application areas. The new Regional Basic Observing Network (RBON) will lead to improved services by delivering more and improved observations to stakeholders, and enable the full benefit of regional observing capabilities to be realized. As such, RBON will be a substantive and valuable subset of WIGOS. Cg-17 decided that the development of WIGOS will continue during its pre-operational phase as one of the WMO strategic priorities in the period , with a focus on the regional and national implementation. As part of the regional WIGOS implementation, the RBON is being introduced to replace the existing RBSN and RBCN networks. 2. Draft concept of Regional Basic Observing Network (RBON) RBON will be a subset of WIGOS, typically used in combination with space-based and remaining surface-based observing elements of WIGOS in any given application. By design, the RBON will be interoperable with many such remaining observing capabilities. RBON will help to address many, but not all, of the requirements that Members have for WIGOS. Design, execution and management of an RBON will be made in the context of the broader WIGOS. 2.1 Definition of a RBON In each WMO Region, and in Antarctica, the RBON consists of surface-based meteorological and related observing stations/platforms; it responds to the collective needs of its Members, allowing them to fulfil their mandates and responsibilities in the provision of products and services. The RBON is established and managed by the respective regional associations and the WMO Executive Council (in the case of Antarctica) The RBON constitutes a selected subset of existing observing systems within WIGOS arising from the Region. The network capabilities will respond to user observational requirements at the national, regional and global levels, identified by the Rolling Review of Requirements (RRR) process RBSN and RBCN are defined in the Technical Regulations (WMO-No. 49), Volume I, Definitions, and further elaborated in the Manual on the Global Observing System (WMO-No. 544), Part III 15 see the Manual on WIGOS (WMO-No. 1160), section and Appendix 2.3

15 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.3(1), APPROVED, p The RBON will operate in support of not only weather forecasting and climate monitoring, but also aiming to address as many as possible of the following WMO application areas: (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) Global numerical weather prediction (GNWP); High-resolution numerical weather prediction (HRNWP); Nowcasting and very short-range forecasting (NVSRF); Sub-seasonal to longer prediction; Aeronautical meteorology; Ocean applications; Agricultural meteorology; Climate monitoring (as undertaken through the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS)); Climate applications; Atmospheric chemistry related application areas The RBON will comply with the Principles for observing network design and planning 16, paying particular attention to those aspects of the principles as will be regulated in a new section on the RBON in the Manual on WIGOS. 2.2 The key attributes of the new RBON encompasses (not exclusive): (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) Requirements for real-time and near-real-time data exchange at the global level; Requirements for regular updates of WIGOS metadata in the Observing Systems Capability Analysis and Review tool (OSCAR); Requirements for data exchange in defined WMO formats; Commitment to operate and maintain the station/platform in the RBON for a minimum of four (4) years; Requirements for a higher frequency of data (hourly and sub-hourly data) and daily climate summaries; 17 Requirements for provision of required climate messages; Requirements for complying with the WIGOS quality management according to the Manual on WIGOS; Requirements for change management according to the Manual on WIGOS; Requirements for (Regional) multilateral arrangements for inclusion of systems that cover more than one Region; Requirements to support as many as possible of the WMO application areas; Stations/platforms are not limited to those under the responsibility of the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs). 2.3 Process for the selection of stations/platforms into RBON The regional association (RA) will prioritize the WMO application areas relevant to its Region; The stations/platforms will be selected so that the RBON observations together with other sources of observations available regionally, including satellite observations, See the Manual on WIGOS (WMO-No. 1160), section and Appendix 2.1 Details on frequency of observations depending on the observing system and type of the observation will be specified in the technical regulations

16 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.3(1), APPROVED, p. 57 (c) (d) (e) allow horizontal resolution requirements as recorded in OSCAR are met at least at the threshold level; The stations/platforms will be selected in such a way that at least the threshold, but preferably breakthrough, user observational requirements as recorded in OSCAR for vertical resolution (profile data), observing cycle, timeliness, uncertainty and stability are met; The selection will be done by the relevant Regional Group designated by the respective RA (e.g., a future possible Regional WIGOS Centre or other dedicated groups) with participation of experts, including users and data providers, from its Members, and well-coordinated with bodies (e.g. JCOMM) governing some of these observing systems; The proposal for RBON, including an action plan to deal with the identified gaps, will be submitted to the RA session for consideration and adoption through a resolution. 2.4 Criteria for the selection of stations/platforms into RBON Only those stations/platforms that meet the following requirements can be selected: (c) Stations/platforms will be capable of exchanging data in real-time or near-real-time on a global level; Stations/platforms will be capable of exchanging data in the WMO data representation formats (note: other parties may provide a conversion from local to WMO formats); Stations/platforms recorded in OSCAR will be considered; (d) Stations/platforms will have a commitment to operate for a minimum of four (4) years; (e) (f) (g) Stations/platforms will be capable of providing preferably hourly and sub-hourly data; Stations/platforms will comply with the Regional Quality Assessment; Change management procedures, including reporting, will be respected. 2.5 Monitoring of RBON RBON will be monitored against the requirements on a regular basis by one or more recognized global/regional centres, which will identify non-conforming stations/platforms; Members will respond to any incident management finding within a defined and agreed time frame appropriate to regional capabilities and expectations. 2.6 Management of RBON (c) (d) The Regional Group will regularly analyse monitoring reports and assist those Members whose stations/platforms do not conform with the regional quality assessment; Members will inform the Regional Group on action taken to address long-term deficiencies vis-à-vis regional monitoring findings; Stations/platforms that, in the long-term, do not conform with the defined Regional WIGOS quality standards will be proposed for removal from the RBON and the relevant Members consulted; In the intersessional period, minor changes in RBON can be authorized by the president of the RA based on the request of the corresponding Permanent Representative if supported by the relevant Regional Group;

17 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.3(1), APPROVED, p. 58 (e) Identified gaps in the RBON observing capabilities will be documented and submitted to the RA session and an action plan will be proposed on how to fill the gaps. 2.7 Types of stations/platforms expected to be included in a RBON According to the classification used in the OSCAR/Surface, the type of station/platform to be included in the RBON could be as follows: (c) (d) Land (fixed/mobile/on ice); Sea (fixed/mobile/on ice); Lake/River (fixed/mobile); Air (fixed/mobile). For fixed stations/platforms, a commitment is made to observe at that location, whereas for mobile types the commitment is to assuring the observing programme as a whole to the extent declared. 2.8 Possible candidate stations for a RBON The stations/platforms currently comprising the Regional Basic Synoptic Networks (RBSN) and the Regional Basic Climatological Networks (RBCN) are the primary candidates for the RBON, and are expected to constitute the backbone of the RBON. Those will be supplemented by other types of stations/platforms, such as weather radars, aircraft-based meteorological stations, wind profilers, lightning detection systems, voluntary observing ships and buoys. These stations/platforms need not necessarily be operated only by NMHSs. More specifically: (c) Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) are particularly significant as they provide a convergence of technology which is being used for weather forecasting and climatological requirements; Conversely, there is a divergence of technologies providing upper-air observations, so RBON will be a composite system of radiosondes, ground-based remote sensing, and the regional observations from aircraft based observing systems (e.g. AMDAR); Weather radar stations provide observations for which there are new requirements for international exchange, and hence will be an important element of RBON. 3. Further background and reference material for the Regional Basic Observing Network concept The RBON is a subset of WIGOS stations selected essentially for global exchange, addressing the Vision for the Global Observing System in 2025 and responding to the Rolling Review of Requirements (RRR) and the Implementation Plan for the Evolution of Global Observing Systems (EGOS-IP)( the period up to 2025) (WIGOS Technical Report No ) (as listed in Annex). The RBON complies with the Observing Network Design Principles as defined in the Manual on WIGOS. OSCAR is a key tool for: (i) recording user observational requirements agreed at the global and regional levels; and (ii) for collecting and recording RBON station metadata and their capabilities; hence particularly facilitating monitoring activities, gap analysis, and the planning for the evolution of RBON. Relevant reference material is provided below.

18 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.3(1), APPROVED, p. 59 References 1. Manual on the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WMO-No. 1160) 2. Vision for the Global Observing System in 2025 (available at Publications/Vision-2025/Vision-for-GOS-in-2025_en.pdf). 3. WIGOS OND Principles Guidance (under development) 4. Guidance on the RRR process (Manual on WIGOS, Appendix 2.3; Guide to the Global Observing System (WMO-No. 448), Part II, Observational Data Requirements, 2.3.1) 5. Implementation Plan for the Evolution of Global Observing Systems (EGOS-IP) (WIGOS Technical Report No )

19 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.3(2), DRAFT 1, p. 4 BACKGROUND INFORMATION SUPPORTING DECISION NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SESSION REPORT References: 1. RA IV Regional WIS Implementation Site: 2. Manual on WIS (WMO No 1060) Guide to WIS (WMO No 1061) RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(2) Results of survey on WIS implementation in RA IV Introduction 1. Reliable information is needed to support Disaster Risk Reduction (Sendai Framework priority 1 (para 25a) and priority 4 (para 33), the Global Framework for Climate Services' Climate Services Information System pillar, international air navigation (Manual on the Digital Exchange of Aeronautical Meteorological Information, ICAO 10003) and many other key WMO activities. 2. Fourteenth Congress decided to implement WIS, extending beyond the private dedicated communication system of the World Weather Watch (GTS) used to exchange timecritical meteorological data and corresponding data from other WMO Programmes, to be more flexible, provide more data from a larger range of WMO Programmes and to support a broader range of types of connections to the system, in particular ad hoc data requests. Although based on interoperability, certain unified processes need to be maintained to ensure WIS operates efficiently and effectively and that only those appropriately authorized can publish in WIS. 3. Resolution 3 (RA IV-16) gave a high priority to the implementation of WIS in the Region, so that all Members may achieve at least basic WIS functionality by the Seventeenth Congress and full WIS implementation by the seventeenth session of Regional Association IV. It tasked RA IV Management Group to prepare a Regional Implementation Plan which is available on line at 4. Seventeenth Congress, Resolution 33 (Cg-17 ) tasked CBS to lead in developing guidance and standards to support good information management practice. Progress on implementing WIS in RA IV 5. A routine survey of WIS National Focal Points updated in October 2016 (see RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(2)) showed that further implementation activities are still required. Successful implementation of WIS relies on Members, but half of responders did not consider their service to have an adequate knowledge of WIS. With half of the responses to the question on the use of Table Driven Code Forms indicating that the service relied on Traditional Alphanumeric Codes, access to basic observation information is at risk in the Region as a result of the Traditional Alphanumeric Codes being unable to represent the station identifiers for new stations. As an enabler for implementing WIS and supporting basic operations, training in WIS competencies should be a regional priority for the coming four years. 6. Members should note the new capability of monitoring the status of WIS through the WIS common dashboard (see

20 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.4(4), DRAFT 1, p. 5 BACKGROUND INFORMATION SUPPORTING DECISIONS NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SESSION REPORT Background The objective of the Integrated Drought Management Programme is to support stakeholders at all levels by providing them with policy and management guidance through globally coordinated generation of scientific information and sharing of best practices and knowledge in support of integrated drought management. The IDMP aims to do this though the following: To shift the focus from reactive (crisis management) to proactive measures through drought mitigation, vulnerability reduction and preparedness; To integrate the vertical planning and decision-making processes at regional, national and community levels into a multi-stakeholder approach including key sectors, especially agriculture and energy; To promote the evolution of the drought knowledge base and to establish a mechanism for sharing knowledge and providing services to stakeholders across sectors at all levels; To build capacity of various stakeholders at different levels. Based on the High-Level Meeting on National Drought Policies, the IDMP and its partners have adopted three pillars of drought management: (i) drought monitoring and early warning systems; (ii) vulnerability and impact assessment; and (iii) drought preparedness, mitigation and response. The International Global Drought Information System (GDIS) Workshop was held from 11 to 13 December 2014 to review the physical mechanisms and predictability of drought worldwide, review and discuss regional capabilities and needs versus global capabilities and the develop the next steps in the development of pilot projects to demonstrate current GDIS capabilities. The GDIS web portal is supported by the United States National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and hosted by the United States National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). There is a need for consistent information on drought that is easily accessible to all users, including such information as our understanding of the physical mechanisms and predictability of drought, real time assessments of ongoing drought, and predictions. As part of an ongoing effort to address this problem, the international workshop focused on the necessary next steps, including the identification of research gaps, for moving forward with an experimental global drought information system (GDIS). Sponsors of the workshop were the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Climate Center, NIDIS, the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), Global Energy and Water Cycle Exchanges Project (GEWEX) of WCRP, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Group on Earth Observations (GEO), and the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC).

21 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.5, DRAFT 2, p. 9 BACKGROUND INFORMATION SUPPORTING DECISIONS NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SESSION REPORT References: 1. CryoNet, the core component of the Global Cryosphere Watch observing network: 2. Global Cryosphere Watch meeting reports, Implementation Plan, Journal and Conference Papers: 3. Report of the Scoping Workshop on Climate Services for Polar Regions: Establishing Polar Regional Climate Centres Towards Implementing an Arctic PRCC-Network, Geneva, November 2015 ( 4. Report of the Arctic Polar Regional Climate Centre (PRCC) Network Implementation Planning Meeting, Geneva, 7-9 November 2016 ( 5. Abridged Final Report with Resolutions and Decisions of the Sixty-eighth Session of the Executive Council, Geneva June Abridged Final Report with Resolutions of the Seventeenth World Meteorological Congress, Geneva, 25 May 12 June 2015 Key achievements 1. YEAR OF POLAR PREDICTION (YOPP) 1.1 Background Due to the increasing concerns with regard to the weather and climate of Polar Regions, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has established a ten-year Polar Prediction Project (PPP) under the auspices of the WMO World Weather Research Programme (WWRP). In its Resolution 49, the Seventeen World Meteorological Congress (Cg-17) decided to support a period of intensive observing, numerical modelling simulations, verification, user-engagement and education activities through the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP), planned from 2017, and a subsequent research consolidation phase in order to enable a significant improvement in environmental prediction capabilities for polar regions and beyond; The core period of YOPP will entail intensive observation and modelling campaigns in both the Arctic and Antarctic scheduled from mid-2017 to mid YOPP is a major initiative of WWRP; it is being planned by the PPP Steering Group in close collaboration with partners and initiatives such as WCRP s Polar Climate Predictability Initiative (PCPI). 1.2 YOPP Plan YOPP is concentrating the observational effort on Special Observing Periods (SOPs). Three Special Observing Periods are planned: 1 February 31 March 2018 in the Arctic;

22 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.5, DRAFT 2, p July 30 September 2018 in the Arctic; and 16 November 2018 to 15 February 2019 in the Antarctic. A fourth Special Observing Period in the Arctic is also under consideration in winter-spring 2020 to complement the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) which is the first year-round expedition into the central Arctic that will provide a quantum leap in our understanding of critical Arctic processes and their representation in weather and climate models. The purpose of the SOPs is to enhance the routine observations in an attempt to close the gaps in the conventional Arctic and Antarctic observing systems for an extended period of time (i.e., several weeks). This will allow subsequent forecasting system experiments aimed at optimizing observing systems in the polar regions and provide insight into the impact of better polar observations on forecasting skills in polar as well as lower latitudes. A first step is to ensure that all observations are shared through the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) to make them accessible to all WMO Member States. A second step is to enhance the current observation network by: more frequent observations from existing platforms; and/or adding observations in regions where the observation network is sparse, i.e. addressing current gaps in the observing systems. 2. GLOBAL CRYOSPHERE WATCH Resolutions 17 and 43 (Cg-17), and Resolutions 50 and 51 (EC-68), decided to continue the implementation of the Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW) as an international mechanism for supporting observations of all components of the Earth s cryosphere, including snow cover, glaciers and ice sheets, sea ice, freshwater ice and permafrost. GCW aims to provide authoritative, clear, and useable data, information, and analyses on the past, current and future state of the cryosphere. 2.1 CRYONET Thirty-six surface stations have been approved by the Seventeenth World Meteorological Congress for the pre-operational testing phase of CryoNet, GCW's core surface network, including 3 stations in RA IV. 2.2 Latin America GCW Workshop GCW held the first CryoNet South America Workshop in Santiago de Chile, from 27 to 29 October While the workshop was focusing on high mountain in South America, it agreed to take steps to establish CryoNet Latin America for systematic long-term monitoring of the cryosphere, which would include the high mountain regions of Central America (e.g. Mexico). A workshop is planned for 2017 for further developing the Latin America Cryosphere Observations Coordination project (CryoNet Latin America), and engaging Members and partners (research, international funding organizations) from RA III and RA IV. Its objectives will include addressing the scarcity of reliable observations at high elevation and polar regions, the need for sustained capacity-building. The workshop outcome will enable coordinated assessments of impacts from high impact weather, changes of cryosphere (permafrost) and water availability in the concerned countries affecting life and livelihood, and supporting disaster risk reduction decisions. The workshop results will support the scientific and operational CryoNet plan, and will be used to garner interest among potential donors for supporting the development of CryoNet stations in the high mountains of South and Central America.

23 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.5, DRAFT 2, p International Exchange of snow data Recommendation 41 (CBS-16) refers to the International Exchange of Snow Data, recommending the approval of the amendment to the Manual on the Global Observing System, Volume I: Global Aspects (WMO No. 544) by adding new provisions on the reporting of snow cover and snow depth from all stations where snow is experienced, four times a day, namely 00, 06, 12 and 18 UTC. Also, Members should report values of zero snow depth (0 cm) from the above stations when snow is not present, for the entire period during which snow can be expected. Additionally, CBS recommended that Members exchange in situ snow measurements in realtime in BUFR through the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) and the WMO Information System (WIS) (Decision 50 (EC-68)), in accordance with the Manual on the GOS (WMO-No. 544). 2.4 Remaining gaps Nomination of national focal points for all Members in the Region that are contributing to the development of the GCW observing network; Engagement of experts specialised in polar and high mountain cryosphere research, observations and products (e.g. glacier monitoring, permafrost, sea ice, river/lake ice); Availability of long term commitments (human and financial resources) to sustain the operation of GCW observing stations, in particular its core network, the CryoNet; Inclusion of representative cryosphere observations from the arctic and high mountain areas of RA IV. 2.5 Remaining challenges Firming up partnerships to address the noted gaps; Increasing the contribution to the GCW Observing Network, especially in the arctic and high mountain areas of RA IV; Achieving interoperability of the national and regional Data Centres with the GCW Data Portal; Long term archival of the cryosphere data and achieving interoperability with the GCW Data Portal. 2.6 Partnerships and resources mobilized The development of the CryoNet Latin America is planned in partnership with the National Hydrometeorological Services (Agencies) of the Members in RA III and RA IV, other organizations national and international engaged in Disaster Risk Reductions and Capacity Building, for example the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences ( IACS), the Association of Hydro-Meteorological Equipment Industry (HMEI), etc. 3. ARCTIC POLAR REGIONAL CLIMATE CENTRES NETWORK The Seventeenth World Meteorological Congress (Cg-17) agreed that polar and high mountain regions become one of the seven WMO priorities for , especially to Improve operational meteorological and hydrological monitoring, prediction and services in polar, high mountain regions and beyond. Through Resolution 40 (Cg-17), Congress decided that an

24 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.5, DRAFT 2, p. 12 integrated approach is needed to provide required services to users and advice to governments about adaptation and mitigation, based on an understanding of the global impact of changes in polar and high mountain regions. A Scoping Workshop was held in November 2015 to facilitate the engagement of the user, research, and operational communities to take preliminary steps toward the development an Arctic Polar Regional Climate Centre (PRCC) network. The meeting agreed on different approaches/options identified for Arctic PRCC, and identified a list of actions towards the implementation of Arctic PRCC. In terms of governance/coordination of an Arctic PRCC it was proposed to be addressed through the Arctic Council. A Coordination Meeting on Arctic PRCC-Network Implementation Planning was held in November 2016 under the leadership of the Executive Council Panel of Experts on Polar and High Mountain Observations, Research and Services (EC-PHORS) Services Task Team (STT), to facilitate discussions of the potential contributing agencies on the technical and organizational arrangements for the proposed Arctic PRCC-Network and to support the launch of a demonstration phase in The Meeting agreed on the follow-up actions required for launch and operation of the Arctic PRCC. The Implementation Plan is under development, and it is planned to initiate the demonstration phase in the course of Meanwhile it has been also agreed to convene the first session of the Arctic Polar Regional Climate Outlook Forum (PCOF) during the second half of The above meetings and activities in support of the Arctic PRCC-Network have been part of a project on implementing the GFCS on regional and national scales, funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada.

25 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.6(1), DRAFT 1, p. 8 BACKGROUND INFORMATION SUPPORTING DECISION NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SESSION REPORT References: 1. Cg-17 (25 May to 12 June 2015) Abridged Final Report with Resolutions 2. Meeting Report of the CBS Management Group (15 to 19 February 2016) 3. EC-68 (15 to 24 June 2016) Abridged Final Report with Resolutions and Decisions 4. Reports of the meetings of TC and RA representatives on Seamless DPFS (10 to 12 February 2016 and 1 to 4 November 2016) 1. Introduction The World Meteorological Congress at its sixteenth session (Cg-XVI) noted that the output of the GDPFS enables Members to meet their diverse service provision requirements including: immediate meteorological support to emergency management organizations, routine weather forecasts and warnings for the general public and for air traffic operations, environmental predictions such as sea-state or air quality, products that create economic advantage for members, tailored products and services to different economic sectors. The World Meteorological Congress, at its seventeenth session (Cg-17), through Resolution 11 (Cg-17), decided to initiate a process for the gradual establishment of a future enhanced, integrated and seamless WMO Data-processing and Forecasting System, in light of the conclusions of the first World Weather Open Science Conference (WWOSC-2014, Montreal, Canada, August 2014). It requested the Executive Council to formulate Terms of Reference (ToR) for this process and a description of the set of products the system should produce, for consideration by Cg-18 in Meeting of the CBS Management Group (15 to 19 February 2016) The results of the meeting of representatives of technical commissions were briefed to the CBS Management Group (MG). The MG agreed to bring forward to EC-68 the Vision, Scope and the White Paper for approval. 3. EC-68 (15 to 24 June 2015) EC-68 endorsed the ToR for the SG on Seamless DPFS and also the Vision. It requested CBS, in collaboration with the other technical commissions and regional associations, to develop the implementation and a White Paper for its consideration at EC-69 (10 to 17 May 2017). 4. Meetings of Representatives of Technical Commissions and Regional Associations (10 to 12 February and 1 to 4 November 2016) A first meeting of the experts, composed of representatives of technical commissions, including the president of CBS and the co-chairpersons of the OPAG on DPFS, was held from 10 to 12 February 2016 to discuss how to address Resolution 11 (Cg-17). The meeting resulted in the definition of the Vision of the future DPFS. The rough outline of a White Paper was discussed including the idea to set up a task team to focus on the issue. A second meeting of the experts was held from 1 to 4 November 2016, in Geneva, where the outline of the implementation plan was fine-tuned and the development of an action plan initiated.

26 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.8(3), DRAFT 1, p. 3 BACKGROUND INFORMATION SUPPORTING DECISION NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SESSION REPORT WMO EXISTING AND PLANNED PROJECTS FOR RA IV Resp. Dep. Country Project Title In support of WMO Strategic Priorities Main investment areas Currency (CHF/USD/ etc.) Budget Completion by (MM/YY) DRA / RAM Haiti Climate Services to reduce vulnerability in Haiti DRR, Capacity Development Construction of a building to host the National Hydrometeorological Services of Haiti. CAD 6,500,000 March 2018 Capacity-building and development of a business plan. Re-establishment of climatological and hydrological observing networks and implementation of a data management system. Development of a widereaching dissemination system on climate-related risks.

27 RA IV-17/Doc. 4.8(3), DRAFT 1, p. 4 Resp. Dep. Country Project Title In support of WMO Strategic Priorities Main investment areas Currency (CHF/USD/ etc.) Budget Completion by (MM/YY) DRA / RMDP Regional Caribbean countries Programme for Building Regional Climate Capacity in the Caribbean Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) Capacity Development, DRR, GFCS Establishment of a sustainable Regional Climate Centre (RCC) for the Caribbean housed at the CIMH. Enhancement of already existing programmes at CIMH, including activities supporting the implementation of the GFCS. USD Grant 5,085,000 (3,170,000 received as of December 2016) July 2017 CLW Global Caribbean Sub- Project (CIFDP-C), including Dominican Republic, Haiti and other SIDS Hydrometeorological Disaster Impact Mitigation Projects Capacity Development, DRR Development and Implementation of activities to lessen the impact of hydrometeorological hazards. USD 1,000,000 September 2017 DRA / RMSP Caribbean SIDS Strengthening Hydrometeorological Operations and Services in the Caribbean SIDS, Phase II (SHOCS II) Capacity Development, DRR Improved capacity of NMHSs to operate the weather observation network and handling hydrometeorological information. Improved institutional governance and early warning services to the society. EUR 1,000,000 June 2017 Enhance tools for climate monitoring and services.

28 RA IV-17/Doc.5.2, DRAFT 2, p.18 BACKGROUND INFORMATION SUPPORTING RESOLUTION 5.2/4 (RA IV-17) NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SESSION REPORT Additional note concerning the functions of the Task Team on GFCS identified under Expected Result 3 of the draft RA IV Operating Plan (Annex to draft Decision 5.2/4) Decision 16 (EC-68), "Decides to endorse the country-focused results-based framework and mechanism for WMO contributions to the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS)". Decision 16 (EC-68) further: "Requests the presidents of regional associations: (1) To examine the terms of reference of the regional association working groups and focal points on climate and the GFCS and adapt them as necessary to support implementation of the results-based framework for WMO contributions to the GFCS, and otherwise make appropriate arrangements to support implementation; (2) To inform their respective working groups or focal points on climate and the GFCS about the results-based framework and the selection, by the GFCS Partners Advisory Committee, including WMO, of specific countries in which they will focus on providing coordinated, comprehensive support; (3) To report on measures undertaken to establish the mechanism for WMO contributions to the GFCS, and on activities and results achieved in its implementation, at the next and subsequent annual joint meetings of the presidents of regional associations and presidents of technical commissions; (4) To inform the Intergovernmental Board on Climate Services (IBCS) Management Committee, through Members of the regional associations who are also represented in the IBCS Management Committee, of activities carried out and results achieved;" The Abridged Final Report with Resolutions of the Sixty Eighth Session of the Executive Council (WMO-No. 1168), annex to Decision 16 (p.89), suggests how these functions are to be performed: Composition and terms of reference 6.1 The mechanism for implementation of the results framework for WMO contributions to the GFCS will use existing structures and mechanisms, strengthened where necessary. The main contributors include the regional associations, technical commissions and co-sponsored programmes and specifically their presidents or chairpersons and relevant working groups or focal points on climate and the GFCS [emphasis added]. These entities will be supported by relevant departments and coordination mechanisms within the Secretariat. Specific responsibilities include: Regional Associations: (i) (ii) Track what is happening in the countries including as relates to country priorities for climate services, NMHS and NHS priorities and needs, relevant partner activities and programmes, and progress on implementation of the results framework Align and coordinate work plans and schedules related to GFCS amongst technical commissions, WMO Programmes and relevant co-sponsored activities (such as DRR, GCOS, WIGOS, WCRP, WWRP, etc.)

29 RA IV-17/Doc.5.2, DRAFT 2, p.19 (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) Collect and develop coordinated specifications of requirements for the development of well-targeted and, to the extent possible, integrated GFCS projects and ensure coordination of WMO contribution to the projects Collect and develop coordinated specification of requirements for the development of GFCS information, underpinning research, products and services across the identified priority sectors and ensure coordination of WMO contribution to them Ensure the engagement of WMO regional centres Share knowledge and information on implementation of climate services across countries;" Annex: 1

30 RA IV-17/Doc.5.2, DRAFT 2, p.20 ANNEX TOBACKGROUND INFORMATION SUPPORTING RESOLUTION 5.2/4 (RA IV-17) - NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SESSION REPORT RA IV STRUCTURE RA IV-16 REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV Working Structure WMO RAIV PRESIDENT MANAGEMENT GROUP HYDROLOGY and WATER RESOURCES Working Group HURRICANE COMMITTEE Task Team on WIS/WIGOS Task Team on GFCS Task Team on Aviation Task Team on DRR Regional Hydrology Forum HC Task Team on TC Forecaster Competencies Focal Points Station Siting Classification GCOS Information and Public Affairs Education and Training Gender Joint Coordination on Satellite Data Requirements

31 RA IV-17/Doc. 8, APPROVED, p. 15 BACKGROUND INFORMATION SUPPORTING RESOLUTION NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SESSION REPORT LIST OF PREVIOUS RESOLUTIONS OF RA IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) STILL IN FORCE AT THE TIME OF ITS SEVENTEENTH SESSION (Reference: Abridged Final Report of RA IV-16) Resolution No. Title Suggested Action* To be kept in force To be replaced Not to be kept in force 25 (VI-RA IV) Participation of National Meteorological Services in planning and development bodies 7 (VII-RA IV) Interchange visits of personnel in analysis and prognosis activities 9 (VIII-RA IV) Strengthening of national meteorological centres 16 (VIII-RA IV) Increased observations from ships operating in the tropics and the southern oceans 14 (IX-RA IV) RA IV Hurricane Operation Plan 4 (X-RA IV) 8 (X-RA IV) 4 (XII-RA IV) 13 (XII-RA IV) The further development of the Global Observing System RA IV Hurricane Committees technical plan and implementation programme Establishment of Regional Instrument Centres Participation of women in the work of the Region 12 (XIII-RA IV) Support for JCOMM 1 (XVI-RA IV) 2 (XVI-RA IV) 3 (XVI-RA IV) 4 (XVI-RA IV) Regional WMO Integrated Global Observing System implementation plan, Regional Association IV (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) Regional Basic Synoptic Network and Regional Basic Climatological Network in Region IV WMO Information System implementation plan Management Group of Regional Association IV 5 (XVI-RA IV) RA IV Hurricane Committee

32 RA IV-17/Doc. 8, APPROVED, p. 16 Resolution No. Title Suggested Action* To be kept in force To be replaced Not to be kept in force 6 (XVI-RA IV) 7 (XVI-RA IV) 8 (XVI-RA) 9 (XVI-RA IV) Regional Association IV Working Group on Hydrology Strategic Operating Plan for the enhancement of national meteorological and hydrological services in Regional Association IV (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) Steps to be undertaken to achieve compliance with the regulations of the World Meteorological Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization Review of previous resolutions and recommendations of the Association * proposed by the WMO Secretariat

33 World Meteorological Organization REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) Seventeenth Session San José, Costa Rica, 27 to 31 March 2017 RA IV-17/INF. 1 Submitted by: Secretary-General 27.I.2017 MATERIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE SESSION Venue At the kind invitation of the Government of Costa Rica, the seventeenth session of Regional Association IV (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) will be held in San José, Costa Rica from 27 to 31 March The opening ceremony will take place at 9.30 a.m. on Monday, 27 March 2017, at the Barceló San José Palacio Hotel, in San José (website). The 39th session of the RA IV Hurricane Committee will be held at the same venue from 23 to 26 March Working languages During the session, simultaneous interpretation will be provided in the main conference room. Additional meeting rooms without interpretation facilities will also be available. Documents The documents for RA IV-17 will be issued in English and Spanish, whereas Information documents will be issued in English and, resources permitting, in Spanish. Delegations wishing to submit documents before the session are invited to send them to the WMO Secretariat as soon as possible, but not later than 60 days before the opening of the session, according to the provisions of Regulation 173 of the WMO General Regulations to allow time for translation. According to Regulation 172 of the WMO General Regulations, session documents should be distributed as soon as possible and preferably not later than 45 days before the opening of the session. Any document presented by a delegation should be submitted in the name of the Member of the Organization and not by an individual person. Processes and documents workflow The presentation of the session documents and organization of the work of the session will differ this year from the practice of previous RA IV sessions, as explained on the RA IV-17 website: Distribution of documents Documents will be posted before and during the session on the RA IV-17 website. No documents will be distributed in hard copy, in line with WMO greening efforts to promote papersmart meetings. Therefore, participants are kindly invited to bring internet-enabled portable computers capable of handling Microsoft Word 2010 and Adobe PDF formats so that they can work in paperless mode during the session. Provisional abridged report Approved documents showing amendments in the two languages will be posted on the RA IV-17 website, as soon as possible after the session. Approved files of documents discussed during RA IV-17 will be placed in the folder Provisional Report that will appear in the two languages on the same website.

34 RA IV-17/INF. 1, p. 2 Registration of participants Online pre-registration is required for all participants. The link to the online event registration system is available on the RA IV-17 session website ( A Conference Information and Registration desk will be set up close to the meeting rooms at the Barceló San José Palacio Hotel to facilitate the delivery of identification badges and provision of general information to the participants of the Hurricane Committee and RA IV-17 session. On-site registration for the 39th session of the RA IV Hurricane Committee and the RA IV-17 session will open on Wednesday 22 March 2017 from 4 to 8 p.m. and continue throughout the Hurricane Committee and the session. Participants will receive identification badges at the time of registration. Representatives of WMO Members, that are not Members of Region IV, who wish to attend as observers must provide official proof of representation, such as a letter from the relevant Member. Representatives of international organizations invited as observers to the session should provide in advance, or bring to the session, a letter of representation signed by the appropriate authority from their organization. Credentials Pursuant to Regulation 21 of the General Regulations, prior to a session of a constituent body other than the Executive Council, each Member should, if possible, communicate to the Secretary-General the names of the persons composing the delegation to that body, indicating which of these shall be regarded as its principal delegate. In addition, a letter giving these particulars and signed by, or on behalf of, an appropriate governmental authority of the Member shall be sent to the Secretary-General or handed to his representative at the session. This letter shall be regarded as appropriate credentials for the participation of the individuals named therein in all activities of the constituent body. List of participants A provisional list of participants will be uploaded on the RA IV-17 website shortly after the beginning of the meeting. This list will be revised as soon as all participants have registered. Videoconference facilities A videoconference connection will be set up, if possible, between the main meeting room and WMO headquarters in Geneva. Internet facilities Wireless Internet connection will be available in the main conference room and at the venue hotel. Entry requirements Citizens from the following countries require a visa which will need to be requested at the local or closest Costa Rica Consulate: Colombia, Cuba (except for participants holding a Diplomatic, Official and Service passport), Nicaragua, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica. The visa can be obtained at the nearest Costa Rican Embassy or Consulate. In the case of Colombia, if they have a USA visa, there will be no need to get a visa solely for Costa Rica. In the case of the nationals from Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica, they have to send a scanned version of the following documents: passport, travel itinerary and official designation letter issued by the institution they work for. To visit Costa Rica, citizens from the following countries do not require a visa: Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Curaçao, Dominica, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Saint Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, United States of America, United Kingdom and Venezuela.

35 RA IV-17/INF. 1, p. 3 Any requests or additional information can be sent to: Ms Yadira Muñoz G. Dirección General Instituto Meteorológico Nacional ymunoz@imn.ac.cr Telephone: (506) ext. 140 Transportation For those staying at the meeting hotel (Barceló San José Palacio), transport from and to the airport will be provided. In case you are not staying at the meeting hotel, the airport official taxis are orange and the name is Taxis Unidos. The rate for one way, airport-hotel is approximately US$ 35. Currency Currency exchange services are available at the Juan-Santamaría international Airport as well as in all banks (opening hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekends: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). The local currency is the colon (CRC). Most businesses, tour operators, airlines and hotels accept major credit cards and American Express traveller s checks. The average exchange rate in CRC was as follows: 1 Euro = 575 CRC 1 USD = 550 CRC 1 CHF = 537 CRC Health requirements/medical services Up-to-date information on international travel and health requirements are provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) at the following websites: It is suggested that you take out personal medical insurance for the duration of the trip. Electricity and mobile phone connection Power systems are generally 120 volts and 60 Hz. An adaptor may be necessary. Payable SIM cards for mobile phones and post services will be available within the vicinity of the meeting place. Local climate in March Climate data for the period of the session in Costa Rica are listed below: Mean temperature: 20.6 C Mean maximum temperature: 24.5 C Mean minimum temperature: 16.8 C Mean precipitation: Rainy days: 3 Radiation (MJ/m2): mm Relative Humidity: 72.2% Wind speed: 9.9 km/h The web page of the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional is:

36 RA IV-17/INF. 1, p. 4 Hotel reservation Participants are strongly recommended to stay at the Barceló San Jose Palacio Hotel, where the meeting will be held. A block reservation has been made with a very special rate of USD 135/night (including taxes, accommodation, breakfast, lunch, coffee breaks, internet and transport from and to the airport) for single rooms. The reservation will be made on a firstcome-first-serve basis. To secure the special rates at this hotel, participants are requested to fill hotel reservation form in Appendix B and return to the hotel contact, with a copy to the Local Secretariat (pramirez@wmo.int) no later than 15 March Where applicable, the hotel reservation procedure above should also be used to reserve accommodation for those attending the Hurricane Committee (23 to 26 March 2017). If you are not planning to stay at the hotel of the venue please inform the WMO Office in San José, Costa Rica (NCAC): pramirez@wmo.int. A list of other hotels close to the meeting hotel is provided in Appendix A. Information and contact details of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and Local Secretariat For any further information please contact the Local Organizing Committee or the WMO Secretariat at the following address: Local Organizing Committee: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional Ms Yadira Muñoz Secretary Instituto Meteorológico Nacional San José, Costa Rica Tel: (506) Fax: (506) ymunoz@imn.ac.cr Local Secretariat: WMO Office for North America, Central American and the Caribbean Ms Priscilla Ramírez Secretary World Meteorological Organization Office for North America, Central America and the Caribbean San José - Costa Rica Tel: (506) Fax: (506) pramirez@wmo.int Appendices : 2 (Appendix B available in English only)

37 RA IV-17/INF. 1, p. 5 APPENDIX A: List of recommended hotels The following hotels are less than 10 minutes away from the meeting hotel. No corporate rate has been negotiated with them. CROWNE PLAZA COROBICI Address: Costado Norte del Parque La Sabana, San José, Costa Rica Web: Single room rate: USD Double room rate: USD TRYP SAN JOSE SABANA Address: 3rd Av 38th and 40th Street, San José, Costa Rica Web: Single room rate: USD Double room rate: USD HILTON GARDEN INN SAN JOSE, LA SABANA Address: Boulevard de Rohrmoser, La Sabana, San José Costa Rica, Bv Ernesto Rohrmoser, San José 1019, Costa Rica Web: hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com Single room rate: USD Double room rate: USD

38 RA IV-17/INF. 1, p. 6 APPENDIX B: Hotel reservation form HOTEL BARCELÓ SAN JOSÉ SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA Registration Form WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION Seventeenth Session of the Regional Association IV San José, Costa Rica March 2017 Dear Guest // Please provide the following information: Quantity of rooms required $ single $ Double (includes buffet breakfast, internet, buffet lunch, airport shuttle) Complete Name of client(s): ** If there is more than one person, please attach the list of guests. Guest name: address: Telephone: another: ext: Fax number: Check-in date and flight details: Check-out date and flight details: COMMENTS: Please send it to the fax (506) , Corporate Sales Department or at sanjosepalacio.ventas@barcelocr.com sanjosepalacio.ventas2@barcelocr.com Muchas gracias por preferir la Cadena de Hoteles Barceló & Resorts!!! San José, Costa Rica, 3er. KM Autopista General Cañas, La Uruca, Residencial el Robledal Phone: (506) // Fax:

39 RA IV-17/INF. 1, p. 7 Dear Guest: Greetings from HOTEL BARCELO SAN JOSE (CORPORACION ALGARD S.A.) GUARANTEE RESERVATION FORM: Credit card number to guarantee your reservation VISA AMERICAN EXP MASTER CARD Expiration date: Card holder: Credit card holder signature NOTE: IN THE CASE THAT YOU DO NOT CANCEL THE RESERVATION 24 HOURS BEFORE EXPECTED ARRIVAL, THE HOTEL IS AUTHORIZED TO CHARGE THE AMOUNT OF ONE NIGHT TO THE CREDIT CARD FOR NO SHOW.

40 World Meteorological Organization REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) Seventeenth Session San José, Costa Rica, 27 to 31 March 2017 RA IV-17/INF. 2 Submitted by: Secretary-General 21.II.2017 TENTATIVE WORK PLAN

41 Seventeenth Session of Regional Association IV San José, Costa Rica, March 2017 TENTATIVE WORK PLAN All items will be discussed in Plenary meetings Monday 27 March Tuesday 28 March Wednesday 29 March Thursday 30 March Friday 31 March a.m. p.m. a.m. p.m. a.m. p.m. a.m. p.m. a.m. p.m. General Plenary Chair: President Items: 1, 2, 3, * 9** 5.2** D D 8 D Plenary A Co-Chair: Member D Items: Plenary B Co-Chair: Member Items: D Explanatory notes: D Consideration of outstanding in-session Draft Decisions: Draft 2, Draft 3, Approved. * To appoint a Rapporteur ** To appoint a sub-committee Side meetings: Dates and times will be provided at the session Calendar to be updated on the WMO web page

42 World Meteorological Organization REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) Seventeenth Session San José, Costa Rica, 27 to 31 March 2017 RA IV-17/INF. 3 Submitted by: President of RA IV 14.III.2017 REPORT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION This report covers the period from the sixteenth session of the Association to January Members of the Association 1. The number of Members of the Association has remained at 27. Officers of the Association 2. During the period under consideration, Mr Juan Carlos Fallas (Costa Rica) served as president of the Association and Mr Juan Manuel Caballero (Mexico) and Mr Albert Martis (Curaçao and Sint Maarten) served as vice-presidents. Subsidiary bodies of the Association 3. At its sixteenth session, the Association established the Management Group and two working groups: the RA IV Hurricane Committee and the Working Group on Hydrology. It also decided that task teams were to be established according to specific needs of the Association. In this respect, during the intersessional period task teams for Aeronautical Meteorology, Disaster Risk Reduction, WIS/WIGOS and GFCS were established. 4. The future working mechanism including the establishment of working groups based on the Regional Key Outcomes of the RA IV Strategic Operating Plan will be discussed at the seventeenth session of the Association [ref. RA IV-17/Doc. 5.2]. 5. The major achievements in the Region during the intersessional period include, among others: Advances made in the GFCS workplan implementation and the RCC roadmap, in terms of the Regional Climate Centers. In this respect, the RCC hosted by the Caribbean Institute for Hydrology and Meteorology (CIMH) in Barbados is in the final phase to obtain its recognition as a designated WMO RCC while the RCC to be hosted by the United States of America has requested to enter in its demonstration phase. Additionally the Polar RCC is in early phase establishment as coordination with other regional associations is needed; Re-establishment of the RA IV Working Group on Hydrology (WGH) during the RA IV-16 session in Curaçao (2013), after some years of inactivity. Based on an extensive process of consultation and analysis an ambitious workplan for the period was elaborated and approved. Six task teams were created under the WGH. A WGH meeting and an expert meeting on Hydrological Networks and Data were held. The creation of a Virtual Hydrology Forum (VHF) provided a valuable platform allowing the Members to actively participate in the discussions and exchange of technical information under a zero cost scheme. The WGH supported the implementation of an innovative initiative to strengthen the necessary interaction and collaboration between Regional Climate and Hydrology Outlook Forums. Such initiative is currently under implementation in the Mesoamerican-Hispanic Caribbean subregion, while Members of the English-speaking Caribbean subregion have also shown interest in its adoption;

43 RA IV-17/INF.3, p. 2 (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) With respect to aeronautical meteorology activities, important advances have been made, especially in those areas related to the implementation of QMS in RA IV National Meteorological Services and in the competency assessment of aeronautical forecasters. However, additional efforts will be required in order to have all Members complying with these requirements; Capacity-building activities supported by WMO, through the trust fund established by the Government of Spain to support the Conference of Iberoamerican Directors of Meteorological and Hydrological Services (CIMHET) included courses on automatic weather station maintenance, data processing, climate change, administration of meteorological and hydrological services, flood management, seasonal forecasting, hydrology, statistical forecasting tools, use of forecast products and satellites, hydrological forecasting, coastal flooding, and telecommunications; In the framework of the Climate Services to Reduce Vulnerability in Haiti Project, with financial support from Canada and aimed at strengthening the capacities of the meteorological and hydrological services in Haiti, activities focused on the construction of a building to house the Hydrometeorological Unit (UHM), created after the fusion of the National Meteorological Centre (CNM) and the Service National des Ressources en Eau (SNRE). The conclusion of the construction is foreseen by mid-2017; Currently, the bidding process for the supply of an integrated technical assistance package is underway, which includes the technology and training needed to carry out the weather forecasts, warnings, and dissemination of broadcasts and activities to the public in general; A major achievement has been the redefinition of the structure and function of UHM and its mission and objectives and the definition of the organizational chart and functions for each post, which will enable every technician a better understanding of his/her job and responsibility inside the new structure and the elaboration of a new protocol establishing the framework of the relationships between civil aviation and UHM. 6. Identified priorities for the period include the following: (c) (d) (e) (f) GFCS: The need to focus on the transfer of climate research and know-how into services that benefit users. Special attention should be accorded to the establishment of effective networks of Regional Climate Centres; DRR: Strengthening of partnerships with national and regional stakeholders to identify evolving hydrometeorological and climate risks and develop appropriate, cost-effective, sustainable solutions and mechanisms to reduce these risks; WIGOS: WIGOS implementation remains as an ongoing priority activity, including its implications for WIS and the resulting evolution and ongoing maintenance requirements for the WIS platform; Capacity development in small island developing states and least developed countries; Aviation and marine meteorology: Continuous and sustained attention will be required to meet the needs of these important sectors, particularly for implementation and maintenance of quality management systems and human resource competencies and in light of the trend towards regionalization of services; Research: Special attention should be accorded to technological transfer of research into products and services that contribute to key outcomes. Critical areas in this

44 RA IV-17/INF.3, p. 3 regard are seamless prediction on all timescales and research related to polar and coastal zones. 7. Specific challenges identified for RA IV include: (c) (d) Even though considerable efforts have been made in terms of education and training, many Members in the Region still face acute shortage of adequate human resources in their NMHSs. That lack of adequate education and training opportunities is having considerable negative effect on the capacity of several NMHSs for service delivery, optimum contribution to scientific knowledge, support to national socioeconomic and development policy, broader partnerships at national and international levels, development and implementation of relevant international agreements, and resource mobilization and, therefore, a major effort from Members in the Region will be needed to overcome this difficult situation; The RA IV WIGOS Implementation Plan has in it several actions which are of regional scope. Included in them are the inventory of existing regional networks, observation systems in the Region, actions related to the Technical Plan of the RA IV Hurricane Committee and definition of the future regional network according to the WIGOS requirements. Many of these activities may take years and go beyond the mandate of the corresponding regional task team and therefore, the Region will need to consider the establishment of a Regional WIGOS Center; Intensive work in the Region will be needed to implement the WMO Disaster Risk Reduction Roadmap in order to adequately fulfil the needs of Members in this area; Critical importance of working with regional intergovernmental organizations and the use of regional forums to promote meteorology, hydrology and environmental issues, and raise policymakers awareness of the role of the NMHSs and WMO in contributing to sustainable development and disaster risk reduction. Major regional events and outcomes 8. During the period of the report, a number of seminars, workshops and other events were organized or hosted by WMO and its Members. Members of the Association actively participated in several events [A list of regional events in is given in RA IV-17/ INF. 5.2], and Regional Association IV working groups and task teams met as follows: (c) (d) (e) (f) Management Group: Nine (9) meetings during the period; RA IV Hurricane Committee: Four (4) meetings (35 th, 36 th, 37 th and 38 th sessions); Working Group on Hydrology: One (1) meeting (10 th session) and several virtual meetings of the Virtual Hydrology Forum; WIS/WIGOS Task Team: One (1) meeting (RA III and RA IV on WIS-WIGOS Implementation Plan); GFCS Task Team: Two (2) meetings; Aeronautical Meteorology Task Team: One (1) meeting. Major regional activities 9. The following major activities were carried out during the period:

45 RA IV-17/INF.3, p. 4 (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) Successful development of the RA IV Strategic Operating Plan for and the implementation in the Region of the high priority activities decided by the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Congresses (2011 and 2015) in the areas of: the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS); implementation of the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS) and the WMO Information System (WIS); Aeronautical Meteorology; Capacity Development; and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR); Establishment of a new simplified work structure for the efficient management and good governance of the Region, consisting of the Management Group, the Hurricane Committee, the Working Group on Hydrology and the ad hoc task teams to address regional priorities; Continuation of the Project Office in Mexico to support the National Water Commission in achieving integrated, sustainable management of water and the implementation of the PREMIA project aimed to address, as outlined in the agreement between WMO and the Government of Mexico, the efficient management of water, technical support in the fields of hydrology, meteorology, climate variability and change and their effects on water availability, in particular groundwater reserves. Prevention of floods will be another area to be covered in the coming years; Continuation of the Meeting of Directors of Ibero-American countries of RA III and RA IV and the related three-year plan focusing on: institutional strengthening of NMHSs and resource mobilization; development of climate services through pilot projects; education and training; and development of subregional virtual centres for the prediction and monitoring of extreme events; Training events supported by WMO, through the Spanish Trust Fund including courses on automatic weather station maintenance data processing, climate change, administration of meteorological and hydrological services, flood management, seasonal forecasting, hydrology, statistical forecasting tools, use of forecast products and satellites, hydrological forecasting, coastal flooding, and telecommunications interaction; Provision of the open source Meteorology, Climatology and Hydrology Database Management System (MCH), donated by Mexico to WMO, and provided to interested Members through the Iberoamerican Conference of Directors of Meteorological and Hydrological Services; Revision of the Technical and Operational Plans of the Hurricane Committee during its annual meetings (35 th to 38 th ) in Willemstad (Curaçao), Cancun (Mexico), San José (Costa Rica) and San Juan (Puerto Rico), respectively; Signing by Environment Canada and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) of a USD 6.5 million Financing Agreement to support the programme Haiti Weather Systems Programme Climate Services to Reduce Vulnerability in Haiti. Activities of the project up to December 2016 include: Establishment of a WMO Project Office in Haiti; Acquisition of land for new offices for the National Meteorological Centre National Water Resources Service (CNM-SNRE); Contracting UNOPS for the construction of the National Meteorological Service Operational Centre which at the time is 90% finished; Initiation of process for the CNM-SNRE 5-year Business Plan;

46 RA IV-17/INF.3, p. 5 (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) Development of a Regional WIGOS Implementation Plan for RA IV by the Task Team; Representation of RA IV in the Management Committee of the IBCS through the British Caribbean Territories (BCT), Canada, Costa Rica and USA; Participation of the president of RA IV in Meetings of the Presidents of Regional Associations and Presidents of Technical Commissions of WMO, which allowed for excellent coordination; Creation of a virtual forum on hydrology as support for the work of the RA IV Working Group on Hydrology; Representation of RA IV at the Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas in Guayaquil, Ecuador; Participation in the meeting of RA III, Asuncion, Paraguay, which allowed the president to discuss several issues of common interest to both RA III and RA IV. WMO Office for North America, Central America and the Caribbean 10. The WMO Office for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, located in San José, Costa Rica, has been providing effective support to NMHSs in their efforts to enhance their services as well as to the president, vice-president and subsidiary bodies of the Association in discharging their responsibilities. 11. The WMO Regional Office for the Americas, located in Asuncion, Paraguay, has been facilitating implementation of WMO regional events, maintaining close contact with Members, providing support to meet requirements of Members in the Region and also to address WMO cross-cutting programmes with relevant regional organizations. [The activities of the Regional Office for the Americas and the WMO Office for North America, Central America and the Caribbean are documented in RA IV-17/Doc. 7.] Missions of the president 12. In his capacity as the president of RA IV, Mr Fallas attended the Seventeenth Congress and the meetings of the Executive Council, the Financial Advisory Committee and the WMO Bureau as well as the Meetings of the Presidents of Regional Associations and the Joint Meetings of the Presidents of Regional Associations and Presidents of Technical Commissions. Future work of the Association 13. High priority should be given to the implementation of the RA IV Strategic Operating Plan for the Enhancement of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in RA IV (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) [ref. RA IV-17/ Doc. 5.1.] 14. High priority should also be given to the implementation of the regional WIGOS Implementation Plan for RA IV and the regional WIS Implementation Plan for RA IV. 15. The RA IV RCC network should be further developed to contribute to the GFCS at national and regional levels. 16. The quality management system, cost recovery, hurricanes and associated extreme weather events continue to be of great interest to Members. Members and WMO should give high priority to these subjects in order to be able to address the future challenges.

47 RA IV-17/INF.3, p. 6 Acknowledgements 17. The president of the Association would like to express his appreciation and gratitude to all those who have contributed to the work of the Association. Particular thanks are due to the vice-presidents, Mr Juan Manuel Caballero (Mexico) and Mr Albert Martis (Curaçao and Sint Maarten), and the chairpersons of working groups and task teams of the Association. Thanks are due to the Members of the Association who have hosted various meetings, conferences and training events during the intersessional period. 18. The president would also like to express his deep gratitude and appreciation to the Secretary-General of WMO and to the Secretariat, in particular the WMO Office for North America, Central America and the Caribbean and the WMO Regional Office for the Americas, for their valuable support and advice in the work of the Association.

48 World Meteorological Organization REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) Seventeenth Session San José, Costa Rica, 27 to 31 March 2017 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1) Submitted by: Secretary-General 23.III.2017 CONSOLIDATED SUMMARY REPORTS ON THE ACTIVITIES OF RA IV SUBSIDIARY BODIES Reference: Sixteenth session of Regional Association IV (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) (WMO-No. 1117)

49 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 2 RA IV Task Team on Aviation Mr Michael Graf (USA) - Chairperson 1. Introduction This report summarizes major activities in aviation during the period Task Team Structure The Task Team is composed of several official members and a few members (non-official) that have background needed in helping the team move along. 3. Terms of Reference The terms of reference of the Task Team on Aviation, are as follows: (c) Study and remedy the challenges Members in the Region are facing in meeting the requirements of ICAO Annex 3/WMO-No. 49, Volume II, in particular amendment 76 (2013) with respect to QMS, and amendment 77 (2016) addressing Extensible Markup Language (XML), World Area Forecast (WAFS) hazard grids, and requirements concerning the qualifications and training of meteorological personnel in aeronautical meteorology given in the Technical Regulations (WMO-No. 49), Volume I General Meteorological Standards and Recommended Practices, Part VI Education and Training of Meteorological Personnel; As applicable, establish regional projects in the areas of Quality Management System implementation and continuing professional development of aeronautical competencies to meet the requirements for aviation meteorologist qualification, as well as actions aimed at improving SIGMET issuance; Seek funding for these projects through the WMO Resource Mobilization Office, through direct contact with donor countries and through other avenues. 4. Membership Task Team on Aviation Name Country Chairperson(s) Michael Graf USA Members Claudio Amparo César George Ms Saide Shakeer Kathy-Ann Caesar Werner Stolz Dominican Republic Guatemala Trinidad and Tobago British Caribbean Territories Costa Rica

50 5. Highlights of EG-OF activities RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p The Aviation Task Team organized and led the following workshop: WMO Seminar/Workshop for Aeronautical Competencies and SIGMETs NAM/CAR Regions Costa Rica, August Attended by over 30 members from RA IV. The workshop programme and training can be found at: Aviation task chairperson attended a 3-day workshop in Mexico City hosted by the North American ICAO regional office. The purpose of the meeting was threefold: (i) Improving aviation communications and services provided by WMO Region IV Members by examining and checking how the NWSTG sends international collectives; (ii) Making US METAR collectives provided by the NWSTG ICAO compliant; (iii) Review Members progress on Quality Management (ISO 9001) throughout the Region. (c) provided end-of-year report to include QMS status for all RA IV; (d) 2016 provided Ra IV Aviation Task Team Strategic Plan for General report and plans (c) Support is needed for a QMS/Competency Workshop , (30K) to allow for attendance and translation. RA IV is still lagging behind in implementing QMS competencies for some Members. Propose a QMS/Competency Workshop targeting specific countries still in need of help using RA IV trainers from Members which have been successful implementing QMS and Competencies; Aviation Virtual Calls: 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, (3K per year) to cover communication and translation. These quarterly meetings will discuss a broad range of topics to include QMS, competencies, BIP-M, SIGMET issuance and production, new techniques, rules of thumb for forecasting, observing, verification, climatology, ASBU and GANP etc., but needs feedback to be successful; Aviation newsletter: 2017, 2018, and 2019 (2K per year) for translation to Spanish. These newsletters will leverage off the virtual calls and the goal is to have four issues a year. Topics will cover QMS, competencies, BIP-M, SIGMET issuance and production, new techniques, rules of thumb for forecasting, observing, verification, climatology, ASBU and GANP. The articles will be mainly written by local RA IV experts. Editing and design provided by Aviation Task Team (NWS). Again, requires feedback to be successful. Annex: 1

51 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 4 ANNEX Latest QMS/Competencies as of January 2016 for RA IV QMS Status Member Country Qual. System (p.2.2.2) ISO 9001 (p.2.2.3) Competency Asses Status Remarks QMS Remarks Comp. Antigua and Barbuda Y N 5 (2014) 2016 Training int. Audit, Bahamas Y N 5 Nov 15 Barbados In progress N 4 Help with int. auditing, twinning Belize In progress N 5 (2014) No int. Audit QM staff is operational, recourses, twinning Training British 3 terr. Y provided, but Caribbean N 5 2 terr. N need of extra Territories info Canada Y 5 Colombia Y N 5 AMO 2 - AMF 2016 Cycle of assessment TBD AMF NEED TRAINING Costa Rica In progress N COST Int audit AMF NEED TRAINING; Certification, qualifications Cuba Y Y 5 Part of ANS Curaçao and Sint Maarten Y N 5 (2014) 2016 Dominica In progress N 4 Dominican Republic Y N 4 El Salvador Y N 4 French Departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique Y Consultancy from CAA AMSP different Guatemala! N 4 Beginning CERTIFICATION IN PLACE, University involved Training Further training needed for obs, Assistance needed Training in Costa Rica; need for training, Spain

52 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 5 Haiti N N Honduras N N 2 Jamaica N 4 Mexico Y Y 4 Verification Netherlands Y Nicaragua Y N 4 Support from Cuba 2016 Panama N Saint Lucia Y Y 4 Trinidad and Tobago United Kingdom United States of America Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Notes: Y N 5 (2012) Y * Y Y 5 N 2 or 3? 2016 New QMS standard, Sustainability, Calibration regional solution 5 out of 9 offices, Financial constraints Forecasters trained in France; need for building technical capacity Training, forecasters are Class 3; assistance for training; Jan ; training COMET MET service is in modernization Obs; training needed Assistance needed Second round in progress Military personnel; need to assess their degree; develop documentation 1. Deadline for QMS implementation was 25 November Deadline for Competence Assessment and documentation was 1 December The numbering for CA implies: (c) (d) (e) Implementation not started; Adapted WMO competency standards to national requirements and conditions; Developed assessment process and timeline; Commenced assessment; Completed assessment.

53 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 6 RA IV Task Team on Regional WIS/WIGOS Implementation Mr Glendell De Souza (British Caribbean Territories) - Co-chairperson 1. Introduction This report summarizes major activities in RA IV during the period Task Team Structure The Task Team is composed of personnel from Member States. 3. Terms of Reference The terms of reference of the Task Team on Regional WIS/WIGOS Implementation, are as follows: (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) Review the evolving WIS and WIGOS requirements and strategies and update the RA IV WIGOS Implementation Plan (WIP), including development of an Operations plan to manage future regionally coordinated observation requirements and operations; Develop a RA IV WIS Implementation Plan (WISP), including an Operations Plan, to manage future regionally coordinated information system requirements and operations; Participate in the larger WMO WIS and WIGOS development process to ensure RA IV needs are represented; Implement the dissemination of radar imagery as an initial project of WIS and WIGOS in RA IV; Ensure that observational data for automatic weather stations is transmitted on the GTS; Implement the activities of the RA IV WIP and the RA-IV WISP as an ongoing process; Seek funding for projects through the WMO Resource Mobilization Office, through direct contact with donor countries and through other avenues; Develop regional WIGOS observing requirements for input to the CBS RRR process; Develop a regional instrument calibration strategy. 4. Membership Task Team on Regional WIS/WIGOS Implementation Chairperson(s) Members Name Mr Fred Branski Mr Glendell De Souza Mr Dionicio Cordero Mr Bryan Thomas Mr Hugo Saavedra Mr Donald Simon Ms María Esther Suárez Country USA BCT Dominican Republic Trinidad and Tobago Colombia Antigua and Barbuda Costa Rica

54 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p Highlights of TT-WIS/WIGOS activities (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) Focal Point and Meteorological Inventory; BUFR Migration; WIS Metadata Workshop; Satellite Matters; Regional Radar Mosaic Implementation; WIGOS Metadata Workshop; WIS Implementation Plan 6. Report of the Task Team on Regional WIS/WIGOS Implementation General report Focal Point and Meteorological Inventory Correspondence was disseminated by the president requesting that Permanent Representatives (PRs) designate a focal point for WIS/WIGOS and provide an inventory of national observing system. The PRs were given a deadline of 30 May for the designation of the focal point and 30 June 2014 for the inventory. BUFR Migration The Task Team assisted countries in their migration to BUFR for the encoding of synoptic observations. Although to date not all Meteorological Services have migrated, most of the Services have started the migration and it should be completed before the end of Regional Radar Mosaic Implementation Project The Task Team has been working to have radar scan shared within the Region through the GIFS server. Recently Meteorological Services hosting radars were asked to provide their scan schedule in order that imagery can be shared optimally. The radar data which is being shared is available on the GIFS sever at: and the United States of America radar data is available at: ftp://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/sl.us008001/df.of/dc.radar/ Satellite Matters The Coordination Group of Satellite Data Requirements for RA III and RA IV had its first meeting in Greenbelt Maryland on April The Group was created in response to a recommendation from the Commission for Basic Systems, which was endorsed by the Executive Council, for a Region-based approach to defining and maintaining requirements for satellite data access and exchange, in line with the Integrated Global Data Dissemination Service (IGDDS) included in the Manual on the WMO Information System (WIS). There were teleconferences in August and October and a satellite data user survey was developed and disseminated to Members in RA III and RA IV for completion. The Group also drafted a plan which would provide Members with a road map to receive satellite imagery and data post installation of GOES-R in its final orbital position. The Task Team was charged by the Coordination Group on Satellite Data Requirements for RA III and RA IV to draft a road map, which would assist Member States in RA III and RA IV to obtain satellite data and or imagery from the GOES-R series of satellites. After the road map was drafted the Task Team was then charged with drafting a report on what the Member

55 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 8 States would need to provide in order to access the satellite data and or imagery from the various sources identified in the road map. Both reports were presented at the Second Meeting of the WMO Coordination Group of Satellite Data Requirements for RA III and RA IV, which was held in Curaçao from 5-8 September WIGOS Metadata Workshop The WIGOS Project Office held a WIGOS Metadata Workshop in Curaçao from 1-3 December 2015, for the English-speaking Members of RA IV. It is hoped that funding permitting a similar workshop will be held for the Latin American Members of RA IV during Members were introduced to Observing System Capability Analysis and Review tool (OSCAR) with various exercises for the creation and reviewing of WIGOS metadata. The Members also provided a report on their National WIGOS Implementation Plan. RA IV WIS Implementation Plan The Task Team started working on the WIS Implementation Plan in January 2016 and they had requested Permanent Representatives of WMO Member States to provide the name of their WIS Focal Point and the size of the Internet bandwidth which they were using to connect with RTH Washington several times, through the president of RA IV and the WMO Office for North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The Implementation Plan was completed and it was submitted to the president for discussion by the Management Group in January 2017.

56 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 9 Task Team on Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) Mr Jamie Smith (Canada) Chairperson 1. Introduction This report summarizes major activities in GFCS during the period Task Team Structure The Task Team is composed of nine members and one chairperson with one vacancy from Guatemala. 3. Terms of Reference The terms of reference of the Task Team on Global Framework for Climate Services, are as follows: (c) Development of Vision of an appropriate RA-IV Climate Service; Map and Develop a Trilingual electronic inventory of current activities within the Region; Identify RA IV needs as regards to climate services including formulating proposals for Regional Climate Centres and Regional Climate Outlook Forums; (d) Development of a plan for Collaboration of various stakeholders in the Region to move towards the establishment of a User Interface Platform. 4. Membership Task Team on Global Framework for Climate Services Name Country Chairperson Jamie Smith Canada Members Martín Ibarra Ochoa Lic. Juana Sillé TBD Kenneth Kerr David Farrell/ Adrian Trotman José Franklyn Ruiz Dale Destin Shanna Pitter Roberto Villalobos Mexico Dominican Republic Guatemala Trinidad and Tobago British Caribbean Territories Colombia Antigua and Barbuda USA Costa Rica

57 5. Highlights of EG-OF activities RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 10 (c) An expert team developed a road map for Regional Climate Centres which was approved by the RA IV MG; The TT reviewed the workplan and developed proposals for actions which were presented to the MG during the last MG meeting; The TT continues to make progress on other themes. 6. Task Team on a road map for Regional Climate Centres RAIV Management Group directed the GFCS TT to establish an Expert Team to prepare a roadmap for RCC implementation between , including the respective RCCs roles and responsibilities, and the mechanisms for implementation and coordination of actions in order to avoid duplication of effort and to prioritize gaps. The following activities were conducted: (c) (d) Mapping of existing RA IV capabilities to WMO mandatory and highly recommended functions; Agreed upon geographic regions for each RCC; Determined strategy to fill the gaps in mandatory other key functions; Finalized report with specific actions for implementation RA IV MC Approved the RCC Expert Team Report in 2016 (Annex A). Based upon the workplan and the finding of the Expert Team on RCC, the TT has developed three investment priorities for MC consideration in 2017: (c) (d) Workshop on Climate Extreme Indices for RCCs and Climate Services Centres (CSC) across the Region (recommended); Workshop on Data Management and Rescue in RA IV; Support for improved Climate Outlook Forums (COFs) capacity and coordination; MG to endorses an Open Data Policy to support the RCCs in accordance with WMO Resolution 60 for all RA IV countries. Some progress on items such as theme 1 Climate Services Capacity has been made at CMIH who will share some information with the Task Team. There are two papers in the works from CIMH, one for which the analyses have been completed (NMHS/Climate providers capacity analysis), and a second where the analyses are being done. Both, in collaboration with the University of Arizona, are expected to result in peer review papers. Annex A Presented to the MG group on 23 January Developed by the Expert Group of the RA IV Task Team for the Global Framework for Climate Services 7 June About this document The RA IV Management Group (16/02) decided in June 2015 to establish an Expert Group (EG) in charge of preparing a roadmap for implementation or WMO Regional Climate Centers and other regional climate efforts, including the respective roles and responsibilities, and the mechanism for implementation and coordination of actions in order to avoid duplications. The chairperson of the GFCS TT was designated as the leader of the Expert Group (EG) and was

58 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 11 urged to take timely action. In addition, the current GFCS TT participants from USA, Costa Rica, British Caribbean Territories and Mexico completed the EG. This document represents the proposed roadmap for consideration by the RA IV MG for approval, with the purpose of providing guidance on RCC development for the Region. Background on WMO Regional Climate Centers Regional institutions and initiatives play a critical role in strengthening the capacity of WMO Members to deliver climate information and services at the national level. WMO oversees a global network of accredited RCCs that are centers of excellence that create regional products including long-range forecasts that support regional and national climate activities. These regional initiatives are highlighted in the Implementation Plan of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS). Regional Climate Centers (RCCs) can take the form as one center, or a network of nodes. These RCCs serve the entire RA IV or sub-regions under the RA, and must meet specific criteria to achieve full accreditation: Mandatory functions required of an RCC focus on climate forecasting, monitoring, data services, and training; Highly Recommended functions expand into tailored products and services and research needs. The Expert Group (EG) was provided some key guidance from WMO concerning overlapping RCCs. The EG concluded the following with regards to overlapping geographical and RCC products and services: (c) (d) WMO confirmed that overlapping domains of responsibilities are seen as providing multiple options to countries that can determine which RCC products work best for them. The EG also noted that that having redundancy would build resilience in the Region to deal with major events affecting capacity (e.g. natural disasters); WMO confirmed that for multi-functional RCC accreditation, the most important requirements are that the RCC should perform all the mandatory functions, and be part of an overarching RA implementation strategy endorsed by the RA IV Management Group; WMO confirmed that country-hosted RCCs are acceptable. For example, Japan and China are accredited RCCs for their Region, and India has just completed its demonstration phase. Confining to national boundaries is not acceptable even if the country is large. The RCC could cover and entire RA or even extend to another RA in which case all the concerned RAs should agree; A key consideration for RA IV is the languages that the RCC services will need to be provided in: Spanish, English, Dutch, and French are all spoken in RA IV. Existing regional initiatives in Regional Association IV The overall landscape is changing rapidly within RA IV and includes several sub-regional efforts: WMO accredited Regional Climate Centers Caribbean Regional Climate Center. Based at the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) in Barbados, the Caribbean RCC is completing the demonstration phase under the WMO accreditation process. Activities support the broader Caribbean as well as Guyana and Surinam in RA III and Belize in Central America, and have been endorsed by the RAs III and IV Management Groups. ( Proposed Arctic Polar Regional Climate Center. A pan-arctic RCC was proposed by WMO and a scoping workshop held in November The survey of existing

59 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 12 capabilities in the Arctic has been conducted and is awaiting analysis, after the WMO Executive Council meeting in June This will be supported by the eight Arctic Nations across Regions II, IV, and VI. RA IV countries include Canada and the US; US-based Regional Climate Center. This proposed RCC will cover all of RA IV and is expected to submit the application for RCC accreditation after this roadmap has been approved. Non-WMO accredited regional initiatives Climate Services Center (CSC) for Mesoamerica and the Caribbean. Established in 2014, this network approach is still in the planning phase and does not intend to follow the WMO accreditation process at this time. Mexico and the Regional Committee for Hydraulic Resources (CRRH-SICA), on behalf of the Central American countries, are leading the planning. Cuba, Colombia and the Dominican Republic are the other countries participating (provided they are Spanish-speaking countries in RA IV); North American Climate Services Partnership (NACSP). A regional partnership of Canada, Mexico and the USA to strengthen the development and delivery of user-driven transboundary climate services. Roles and responsibilities of different regional centers and initiatives: geographical coverage The analysis of the geographical coverage for the Region indicated the following: (c) (d) (e) The US-based RCC currently plans to make available all the mandatory functions for the entire Region; The Caribbean RCC currently provides the mandatory functions for all the Caribbean, including the Spanish speaking countries (Cuba, Dominica Republic), and Belize in Central America, and Guyana and Surinam in RA III. The key driver in this case is language, as the Caribbean RCC provides products in English which is a challenge for RA III to meet the needs of its English-speaking Members; The Climate Services Center for Mesoamerica and the Caribbean would provide climate services in Central America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands, which overlaps with some areas served by the Caribbean RCC; The proposed Arctic PRCC would also overlap with a number of regions (RAs II, IV and VI) and will require coordination with their respective RA MGs. Language requirements have not yet been decided; however, with the primary language in the US being English, and English and French in Canada, there may be multi-language products issued by RA IV Members. This remains to be decided; The North America Climate Services Partnership would provide services at the Mexico- USA and Canada-USA borders, which overlaps with the CSC for Mesoamerica and the Caribbean for services in Mexico. This was not identified as problematic by the EG as it is managed at the national level, using products from each Center near the corresponding border area. Some of the transboundary services are currently being distributed in multiple languages; (f) The EG agreed that overlaps in RCCs should focus on mechanisms for coordination/ collaboration for consistent messaging, where appropriate. RCC Functions The Expert Group focused on all four mandatory functions and a selection of the highly recommended functions that are priorities for the Region.

60 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 13 Long Range Forecasts (LRF) LRF production, tailored products, and access for users All RA IV RCCs and non-rccs utilize long-range forecasts from global models including US models. The US-based RCC would continue to provide a number of products for the entire Region which are critical for the functions of other RCCs. Although the Caribbean RCC is investigating developing their own modelling capacity, the majority of the other initiatives are highly dependent on the US global model and others for LRF which they in turn use to tailor specific products for their area of responsibility. Nevertheless, some gaps with the current US products when mapped to all the mandated WMO LRF products were discussed. EG recommended actions with respect to LRF: US-RCC will examine the potential to develop a RA IV data portal to ensure easy access to their products; US-RCC will explore opportunities to host teleconferences with the other RCCs and non-rcc initiatives to get consensus on monthly and seasonal forecasts. Operational Data Services climate datasets, archives It was noted that there is a key gap in the availability of climate data within RA IV to support the development of RCC products which require knowledge of regionally specific user needs, and to support LRF modeling. Currently the Caribbean RCC captures and archives all monitoring data and distributes this based upon some restrictions, and access has not been a large concern. They have a formal agreement for data release. The US provides access to all shared WMO station data, which is utilized for the model and archived. However, the data is relatively sparse for the US modelling and regional purposes. Progress is being made within the Mesoamerican region in terms of access and distribution; however, they lack infrastructure and formal agreements across the entirety of the Region to support data management. Questions were raised in terms of how to deal with the range of data quality, and the need to have good metadata in order to be able to understand the known quality of the data. These ideas are being investigated in the demonstration phase of RCCs. EG recommended actions with respect to Operational Data Services: (c) (d) (e) RA IV MG endorses an Open Data Policy to support the RCCs in accordance with WMO Resolution 60 for all RA IV countries; The best practice for legal agreements on data release and data quality assessment and control from the Caribbean will be shared with the EG; There is a need for RCCs and CSC to develop proposals to WMO or others sources for data rescue (compliant with WIS/WIGOS standards); RCC and CSC to complete a full survey of the existing stations in the Region, including those not currently shared with WMO; Proposals for funding are required to support the development of archiving systems.

61 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 14 Climate Monitoring Diagnostic, Climatologies, and Climate Watch In terms of climate diagnostics and regional climatology, these are being addressed by the Caribbean RCC US-based RCCs, and the CSC for Mesoamerica and the Caribbean. Although the mandatory functions for climate monitoring are largely being met for the Region, there is a gap in the development of Climate Watches. The Caribbean RCC has developed drought indices successfully, and a climate impacts database which is helpful for developing Climate Watches. Within the NACSP, drought indices have been operationalized successfully but in other areas there have been some operational problems with the use of current products in national policy and resource deployments such as the early arrival of climate impacts before official statements on climate variations are released. For example, the declaration of an El Niño by the US is used by nations in the deployment of resources to address its national impacts. However, with the caution displayed in 2014 with the declaration of the El Niño while its impacts were still being felt, there were no resources available to alleviate the drought s impacts in Mexico. It was acknowledged that existing climate watches are not configured for national impacts, and that more tailored climate watches could be of use to the Region. EG recommended actions with respect to Operational Data Services: (c) (d) Recommend that research into the development of new Climate Watch Indices is conducted based upon both physical and user thresholds (attribution studies, regional climate and risk assessment); Investigate the tailoring of RCC/CSC specific products for RA IV that are more sensitive to regional impacts; Share best practices on Climate Watch Indices; impacts database and communications strategies will be useful for other RCC and non-rcc activities in the Region; Do specific activities/opportunities to improve capacity issues to communicate Climate Watches, such as: o o o Continue to invite RCC/CSC members to participate in each other s events; Reach out to existing WMO training programs for aid in developing a training strategy for the Region; Develop media training products and documentation on climate services and products (starting with translation of Caribbean products; GFCS Caribbean funding opportunities; leveraging existing training such as the upcoming one in Cuba). Training Use of operational products and services It was recognized that training needs to focus on both the NHMSs capacity development and users understanding for decision-making. NHMS training is moving towards training impacts climatologists, with emphasis on their communications with decision-makers rather than just on core technical competencies. The training can be guided by the development of the WMO Competencies for NHMS, and be broadened for user services training. EG recommended actions with respect to training: Expand current Outlook Forums to provide training in climate services for users; Request the GFCS TT to develop a Training Strategy for RA IV for Climate Services to support RCC/CSCs and regional capacity development, and to consider the following: o Encourage universities to develop curricula to support development of WMO climate services competencies for climate professionals and more general courses for users;

62 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 15 o o o Examine existing WMO, US NOAA and COMET training programmes for climate services to support regional capacity; Look at WebCast type training modules; Support students in addition to operational climatologists for full involvement in climate services areas. Research and Development The EG concentrated efforts to defining priorities for research and development to support RCCs by drawing upon the highly recommended function along with previously identified R&D priorities from the TT workplan. EG recommended actions with respect to research and development: Request the GFCS TT leads on R&D to develop a climate research and development agenda and coordinate it with other relevant RCC and CSCs with specific focus on: o o o o o Development of a toolbox to facilitate the production of climate services (analysis and generation of climate products, methodologies or tools used for RCOF, forecast interpretation, library of assessments and other documentation for historical analysis); Search/sharing of lessons learned on how climate information is incorporated in the decision-making processes (Climate Watch Indices); Develop indicators of climate extremes (Climate Watch Indices); Stakeholder (include policymakers) evaluations to improve products and services; Improve and expand sub-seasonal forecasting, including basic research into regional climate drivers (essential for RCC LRF). Sustained Financial and Human Resource Support Caribbean RCC has benefited from significant recent investments from regional development institutions (USAID, etc.); however, long-term support for maintaining high-profile activities such as the twice-yearly Climate Outlook Forums are a concern. CSC for Mesoamerica and the Caribbean has neither human nor financial resources allocated directly. Although the NMHS Directors have are in agreement to support the CSC for Mesoamerica and the Caribbean implementation and there is strong interest in the Region for this regional entity, capacities in the form of sustained human or financial resources have not yet been identified for this purpose. All products and activities in this emerging CSC depend on spontaneous contributions from NMHSs (in terms of human resources, data and operational) meetings and training have been funded through International and Development Agencies (AMEXCID, USAID, UE, etc.). Therefore, technical assistance is urgent in terms of human resources and data management infrastructure investment. The US RCC and NACSP benefit from sustained support by the NMHSs of the US, Canada and Mexico respectively, so no additional resources need to be raised for their operation. The proposed Arctic PRCC would overlap with a number of Regions (RAs II, IV, and VI) and will require coordination with their respective RA MGs, and through the accreditation process capacity issues will have to be assessed. EG recommends that RCCs and NHMSs leverage existing funding mechanisms such as targeted GFCS funding and the CREWS initiative. Coordination: Mechanism for implementation and coordination of actions There is a recognized need for the development of a strategy for Region IV on how these various existing and proposed entities will fit together, how to build and coordinate regional and inter-regional partnerships. RA IV is fortunate to have an existing Task Team on the Global Framework for Climate Services that has representation from all of the existing and proposed regional entities. This existing body could continue to serve as the key mechanisms for interaction between the existing Caribbean RCC and Mesoamerica CSC, and also as the

63 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 16 primary mechanism for interaction between the proposed US RCC and the existing regional entities. Moving forward To inform future efforts towards RAIV capacity for regional climate services, the EG has identified 16 specific recommended actions that describe the necessary steps to fill the gaps and ensure good coordination within the Region. These 16 recommended actions are a synthesis of the EG recommendations described above. More details can be found in the Annex, which provides information on the proposed lead, priorities and timelines for each action. In the near term, the EG recommends that the following actions are considered by the RA IV Management Group for immediate action in 2016: (c) (d) (e) (f) US to proceed with process towards RCC accreditation; US and Canada to continue to fill the gap in the provision of RCC services in Arctic Polar region (cross regional); The EG recommends that the RA IV MG endorses an Open Data Policy to support the RCCs in accordance with WMO Resolution 60 for all RA IV countries; The RCCs and non-rccs to expand current Outlook Forums to provide training in climate services for users; Caribbean-RCC to share best practices for legal agreements on data release and data quality assessment and control within the Caribbean; GFCS TT to develop two key strategies: o o Develop a climate Research and Development agenda and coordinate it with other relevant RCCs and non-rccs; Develop a Training Strategy for RA IV for Climate Services to support RCCs and non-rccs for regional capacity development. In the long-term, additional actions are provided in the Annex. These actions should be taken up and examined by the GFCS TT. Annex: 1

64 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 17 ANNEX Timeline of Actions for RCC Road Map Implementation Actions Priority Who When 1 US and Canada to continue to fill the gap in the provision of RCC services in Arctic Polar region (cross regional) 2 US-RCC will examine the potential to develop an RA IV data portal to ensure easy access to their products 3 US-RCC will explore opportunities to host teleconferences with RCCs and initiatives to get consensus on monthly forecasts 4 The EG recommends that the RA IV MG endorses an Open Data Policy to support the RCCs in accordance with WMO Resolution 60 for all RA IV countries 5 The best practice for legal agreements on data release and data quality assessment and control from the Caribbean will be shared with the EG 6 Need RCCs and CSC to develop proposals to WMO or others sources for data rescue (WIS/WIGOS standards) 7 RCC and CSC leads to examine the implications of WIGOS standards for their databases, and request training 8 RCC and CSC leads to complete a full survey of the existing stations 9 Proposals for funding are required to support the development of archiving systems 10 Research is needed into the development of new Climate Watch Indices based upon both physical and User definitions (based upon attribution studies, impacts and risk based approach) M US and Canada 2016 H US-RCC Part of pilot phase M US-RCC 2017 H M H H L H H EG to present to RA IV MG Caribbean- RCC RCC and CSC leads to work with their partners RCC and CSC leads to work with their partners RCC and CSC leads to work with their partners with support from RA IV office Meso- American and Caribbean CSC GFCS TT leads on R&D June 2016 June (depends on MG direction)

65 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p The RCC/CSCs and the US will investigate tailoring their specific products for RA IV to be more sensitive to regional impacts from LRF 12 Sharing best practices on Watch indices, impacts database and communications strategies will be useful for other RCC activities in the region 13 Specific activities/opportunities to improve capacity issues to communicate Climate Watches: (g) Continue to invite RCC/CSC members to participate in each other s events (h) Need to reach out to existing WMO training programmes for communications (i) Development of media training products and documentation on climate services and products (starting with Caribbean products needs to be translated; GFCS Caribbean funds; training in Cuba is upcoming) 14 Develop a climate research and development agenda and coordinate it with other relevant RCC and CSCs 15 Expand current Outlook Forums to provide training in climate services for users 16 Develop a Training Strategy for RA IV for Climate Services to support RCC/CSCs and regional capacity development M RCC/CSCs L Caribbean RCC and NASCP M RCC/CSCs H tool box in particular GFCS TT leads on R&D H RCC/CSC (ongoing) H GFCS TT 2016

66 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 19 Task Team on Hydrology Mr Eduardo Planos (Cuba) - Chairperson 1. Introduction This report summarizes major activities in hydrology during the period Working Group structure The Working Group Team is composed of seven official members: one chairperson, two members from North America, two from Central America and two from the Caribbean. In addition, a Virtual Hydrology Forum has been created as a platform where all the issues and challenges related to the operation of hydrological networks and services can be discussed among interested professionals and other stakeholders. 3. Terms of Reference The terms of reference of the Working Group on Hydrology, are as follows: (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) To assist the president of the regional association in ensuring that the hydrological contributions to the Region s priority needs and activities are made and to provide guidance and advice accordingly; To undertake activities, as directed by the Management Group of RA IV, to address the hydrology- and water-related needs of the Region, and to ensure linkage with the relevant meteorological and climatological activities within the Region; To monitor the development, implementation and maintenance of best practices in the operational activities of the National Hydrological Services in the Region, acting as a mechanism for coordinating the exchange of scientific and technical expertise; In conjunction with the Regional Hydrology Forum (see Annex below), and under the guidance of the RA IV Management Group, to undertake activities that strengthen hydrological monitoring, service delivery and capacity-building, as well as the hydrological inputs on the priority issues of the Association; To ensure, in coordination with the Commission for Hydrology, that regional hydrological and related needs are represented in the Commission s operating plan; To liaise and seek cooperation with appropriate scientific, technical and development organizations such as the International Hydrological Programme of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Organization of American States, the Regional Committee for Hydraulic Resources, and the Water Resources Centre for Central America and the Caribbean; To appoint, in accordance with Regulation 32 of the WMO General Regulations, Dr Eduardo Planos (Cuba), Regional Hydrological Adviser, as chairperson of the working group.

67 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p Membership Working Group on Hydrology Name Country Chairperson Dr Eduardo Planos Cuba Members Dr David Farrell Dr Alain Pietroniro Ms Celina Mena Dr Alain Laraque M en I. Horacio Rubio Mr Diego González British Caribbean Territories Canada El Salvador France Mexico Panama 5. Highlights of EG-OF activities (c) (d) (e) The Working Group on Hydrology (WGH) met in 2015 to analyse and approve the priority themes for the regional work, create the respective task teams and approve the work plan for ; A workshop on hydrological networks and data was held in 2015 to develop a regional assessment on the matter; Consolidation of the Virtual Hydrology Forum during the period , promoting regional discussion on the operation of hydrological networks and services; The WGH supported the 6 th session of the Hydrological Forum of Mesoamerica and Hispanic Caribbean, and facilitated the interaction with the CHy Advisory Working Group aimed at enhancing the relevance and usability of RCOF products and services for supporting the development of capabilities of NHSs; An initial planning meeting was held for the development and implementation of the Haiti and Dominican Republic Flash Flood Guidance Project. 6. Working Group on Hydrology General report Other regional actions demanding financial resources to be continued or fully developed in 2017 according to the hydrology work plan for RA IV are: (c) Technical Workshop on Drought Risk Analysis, Management and Forecasting; Support to regular sessions of the Hydrological Forum of Mesoamerica and Hispanic Caribbean (in partnership with CRRH), especially aimed at enhancing the relevance and usability of RCOF products and services for to produce Seasonal Hydrological Predictions; Assessment and feasibility of regional projects (Carib-HYCOS II, others). Some key regional activities to be continued through the Virtual Hydrology Forum:

68 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 21 Building capacity: adaptation and development of training courses in Hydrology and Water Resources Assessment ( ); Drought Risk Analysis, Management and Prediction: analysis of hazards and vulnerabilities, monitoring, prediction, modelling and communication of warnings ( ); (c) Assessment and Management of Hydrological Networks and Data ( ); (d) To compile experiences on the results of the application of the Flood Warning Systems and prepare a report of inter comparison of results ( ). The WGH was represented at the Annual High Level Forum (HLF) of the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA). In addition to introducing WMO to the HLF as the authoritative voice of the UN system on operational hydrology, the valuable experience of the Hydrological Forum of Mesoamerica and Hispanic Caribbean was shared, and a joint CIMH/WMO collaboration was offered in the case that CWWA was interested in developing a similar initiative for the English-speaking Caribbean countries. Annex: 1

69 RA IV-17/INF. 3(1), p. 22 Item No ANNEX Complete RA IV WGH-VHF Work Plan RKO Activity Period Responsible Budget Share and adapt advances in science and software for Hydrological Prediction and Forecasting Support regular sessions of the Central American Hydrological Forum (in partnership with CRRH) Building capacity: adaptation and development of training courses in Hydrology and Water Resources Assessment Drought Risk Analysis, Management and Prediction: analysis of hazards and vulnerabilities, monitoring, prediction, modelling and communication of warnings Meeting of the WGH (Monitoring and Evaluation) and Technical Workshop on Drought Risk Analysis, Management and Forecasting (first semester of 2017) Assessment and Management of Hydrological Networks and Data Assessment and feasibility of regional projects (Carib-HYCOS II, others) Development of guidance material for using regional climate model outputs in Water Resources Assessment and Management Meeting of the WGH (Monitoring and Evaluation) and Technical Workshop on the usage of regional climate model outputs in Water Resources Assessment and Management (Nov 2018) To compile experiences on the results of the application of the Flood Warning Systems and prepare a report of intercomparison of results Flood Risk Analysis, Management and Forecasting: analysis of hazards and vulnerabilities, monitoring, forecasting, modelling and communication of warnings Technical Workshop on Flood Risk Analysis, Management and Forecasting (November 2019) Hydrology Forum Juan Carlos Fallas (support from CRRH) David Farrell (support from CIMH) David Farrell Horacio Rubio (support from CIMH) David Farrell (support from CIMH) Eduardo Planos Alain Laraque Celina Mena Eduardo Planos Diego González (support from CIMH) Diego González (support from CIMH) Celina Mena Celina Mena Virtual Hydrology Forum 40K (10K per year) Virtual Hydrology Forum Virtual Hydrology Forum 35K Virtual Hydrology Forum 30K Virtual Hydrology Forum 25K 2019 Celina Mena 25K Virtual Hydrology Forum Virtual Hydrology Forum

70 World Meteorological Organization REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) Seventeenth Session San José, Costa Rica, 27 to 31 March 2017 RA IV-17/INF. 4.1(1) Submitted by: Secretary-General 15.III.2017 DISASTER RISK REDUCTION, RESILIENCE AND PREVENTION FOCUSING ON IMPACT-BASED DECISION SUPPORT SERVICES 1. Introduction 1.1 The text at hand provides a short status report on some major activities of the WMO Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Programme, coordinated by the DRR Services Division at the WMO Secretariat, in relation to the development of the Implementation Plan for the WMO DRR Roadmap as well as the coordination of some of the international agreements with other UN agencies and intergovernmental organizations for implementing a risk informed agenda. 2. Meeting of the Executive Council Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction Focal Points (EC EG/DRR) 2.1 The EC WG/DRR, at their First Session in April 2016, noted the thematic areas which could be further emphasized by the existing, or by new, working groups which include multi-hazard monitoring, risk-informed early warning, prevention, and emergency assistance to NMHSs, Members and humanitarian agencies. 2.2 The Group encouraged the RAs and Members to actively engage in the regional consultation processes on disaster risk management, such as the regional and global platforms and ministerial meetings for DRR. Furthermore, the EC WG/DRR encourages NMHSs to identify, prioritize and establish partnerships and service delivery agreements with the national DRR user community and engage with them to identify their requirements. These partnerships should entrench the sovereign role of the NMHS to be the authoritative voice in issuing weather warnings for public safety at the national level. 2.3 The EC WG/DRR acknowledged the immense importance of partnerships among NMHSs and between NMHSs and other key agencies involved in DRR, especially national DRM and civil protection agencies, as well as with the various user and stakeholder groups (e.g. the media). These partnerships take on the form of agreements and standard operating procedures with partner agencies, NMHSs engagement in national DRR decision-making fora (e.g. national DRR platforms, national climate outlook fora), collaborative projects, engagement in knowledge networks, etc. 2.4 The EC WG/DRR requested the Secretariat to develop protocols/procedures and processes by which Members could be assisted by their neighbouring NMHSs or other NMHSs in the event that their capacity to provide critical services to their own communities is seriously affected. This assistance could be activated in anticipation of an expected high-impact hazard event and must be cognisant of existing arrangements and mechanisms that are already in place. It will identify the roles of the key stakeholders identified during the meeting. This will require some work with the RAs and the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs).

71 RA IV-17/INF. 4.1(1), p Meetings of the WMO Disaster Risk Reduction Focal Points of Regional Associations, Technical Commissions and Technical Programmes (DRR FP RA-TC-TP) since previous RA IV session 3.1 The second meeting of the WMO DRR Focal Points of Regional Associations, Technical Commissions and Technical Programmes (DRR FP RA-TC-TP) was held from 3 to 5 November 2015 at the WMO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. 3.2 The third meeting of the DRR FP RA-TC-TP took place from 14 to 16 December 2016 at the WMO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. 4. Endorsement by EC-68 to establish an inter-programme task team for the implementation of Resolution 9 (Cg-17) 4.1 In support of the Sendai Framework s first Priority for Action, Cg-17, through adoption of its Resolution 9, decided to standardize weather, water, climate, space weather and other related environmental hazard information. Cg-17 also requested CBS to develop, in collaboration with all TCs and RAs, a proposal on standardized identifiers for cataloguing hazardous and extreme weather, water and climate events for consideration by EC. These measures will promote interoperability among datasets and facilitate Members efforts to assess risks and track climate-related loss and damage. Enhanced capabilities to monitor and model future climate conditions will improve the attribution of extreme weather, water and climate events to climate change. These capabilities will also facilitate preparedness and adaptation at all timescales and will provide quality assurance of these data, including the official designation/validation of extreme events and archiving of event data and trend indices. WMO, through its TCs, is already active and in some cases well advanced in addressing different aspects of the characterizing and cataloguing issue. 4.2 To address the decision of Cg-17 the CBS Management Group, at their sixteenth meeting in February 2016 and the EC WG/DRR at their first meeting in April, made a recommendation to EC-68, which was subsequently endorsed, to establish an Inter- Programme Task Team on Cataloguing Extreme Weather, Water and Climate Events (IPTT- CWWCE) that would coordinate activities of the various programmes in the standardization of weather, water, climate, space weather and other related environmental hazard and risk information and the development of identifiers for cataloguing extreme weather, water and climate events. The IPTT-CWWCE is co-chaired by both CBS and the Commission for Climatology (CCl) and commenced work at its first meeting in September WMO international activities related to multi-hazard early warning systems 5.1 In line with the Sendai Framework and building upon the WMO community s considerable capacities that contribute to multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS), WMO is playing a key role in developing and promoting the International Network for MHEWS (IN-MHEWS) as well as in the conduct of a Multi-Hazard Early Warning Conference from 22 to 23 May 2017 as a pre-meeting to the 2017 Global Platform for DRR from 24 to 26 May 2017, both taking place in Cancún, Mexico (more details below). 5.2 Furthermore, the first meeting of the WMO DRR User-Interface Expert Advisory Group on MHEWS (UI-EAG MHEWS), since EC-68 called the User-Interface Working Group on MHEWS (UI-WG MHEWS), took place from April 2016 in Geneva.

72 RA IV-17/INF. 4.1(1), p Drawing benefits for WMO Members from international agreements through coordination with other United Nations agencies and intergovernmental organizations for implementing a risk-informed 2030 Agenda 6.1 The Executive Council Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction (EC WG/DRR) commended the Secretariat for active involvement in the inter-agency mechanisms supporting the coordinated implementation of major United Nations strategies (including the Sendai Framework for DRR , the Paris Climate Change Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development), in particular within the framework of the updated United Nations Plan of Action on DRR and Resilience: Towards a Risk-informed and Integrated Approach to Sustainable Development (approved by the United Nations High Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) at its 31 st session in March 2016), to maximize benefits for WMO Members. These mechanisms include, for example, the continued collaboration with the United Nations Office for DRR (UNISDR) and the engagement in the global, regional, sub-regional and national platforms for DRR, the Inter- Agency Group (IAG) DRR Focal Points mechanism, the High-Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP), the Open-ended Intergovernmental Expert Working Group on Indicators and Terminology Relating to DRR (OIEWG DRR), the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) processes in many least developed and developing countries and the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). 6.2 The Sendai Framework specifically calls upon the UN system to support its implementation in a coordinated manner, bringing together coherently the efforts of UN entities pursued within their respective mandates. This reflects the broader expectation of Member States for coherent and coordinated support that maximizes synergies, harnesses the potential of partnerships, and optimizes the efficient use of financial and other resources across the UN system. Strengthening UN System coherence and effectiveness in Disaster Risk Reduction 6.3 Since 2013, UN system support in disaster risk reduction has been guided by the first UN Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience. It has been largely based on the cumulative efforts of the United Nations to support the Hyogo Framework for Action. Its commitments and actions are focused on: quality assistance to countries; ensuring disaster risk reduction is a priority for the UN system; and to ensure disaster risk reduction is central to post-2015 development agreements and targets. 6.4 This revised plan, entitled: UN Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction: Towards a Risk-informed and Integrated Approach to Sustainable Development, has been prepared in light of the new international policy and operational context, in particular, to ensure coherence with respect to climate change risk and the broader 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as to address the challenges identified in the reviews of progress The revised Plan provides for a stronger alignment of the UN s work in disaster risk reduction with other UN system-wide approaches on related issues. In particular, it provides actions to align with the forthcoming UN system-wide strategic approach to climate change, such as: System-wide and joint approaches for integrating disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in UN development efforts; Coherent approaches in the support by the UN for measuring the loss and damage of disasters and climate change; 1 The Sendai Framework (paragraph 48c) made a specific to request to initiate this revision.

73 RA IV-17/INF. 4.1(1), p. 4 (c) Joint monitoring of progress in integrating risk reduction and climate change adaptation in UN operational work. 6.6 The work of the UN system, in the context of the implementation of the revised Plan, will continue to cover the risk to disasters caused by natural hazards (geophysical, meteorological, hydrological and climatological) including extreme climate events, both slow and sudden onset, as well as strengthen activities related to other hazards, including technological and biological threats. The ability to assess and manage risk due to the interaction between hazards, their cascading effects, and links to the risk of conflict, will be required. The UN Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience: Towards a Riskinformed and Integrated Approach to Sustainable Development 6.7 In order to achieve the above, the revised Plan outlines 3 Commitments and 11 Expected Results. The Commitments are: (1) strengthen system-wide coherence in support of the Sendai Framework and other agreements, through a risk-informed and integrated approach; (2) build UN system capacity to deliver coordinated, high-quality support to countries on disaster risk reduction; and (3) ensure disaster risk reduction remains a strategic priority for UN organizations. 6.8 While the revised Plan has a time horizon of 2030, to align itself with the Sendai Framework and the broader 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it also recognizes the need to accelerate support to countries on key priorities by These more immediate results have been identified as the initial requirements necessary to achieve a risk-informed approach to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 7. Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems Conference (MHEWC) 7.1 The Multi-Hazard Early Warning Conference (MHEWC) will aim to demonstrate to countries how they can improve the availability of, and their communities access to, multihazard early warning, risk information and assessment and is therefore directly linked to the achievement of the Sendai Framework Target G. 7.2 Despite significant progress in strengthening early warning systems across the world, often by making use of advances in science and technology, unmet needs remain. Disasters are increasing in frequency and severity in most areas, with climate change and variability exacerbating the situation. Many developing countries, in particular least developed countries (LDCs), small island developing states (SIDS), and landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), have not benefited as much as they could have from advances in the science, technology and governance behind early warning systems. Significant gaps remain, especially in reaching the last mile - the most remote and vulnerable populations at the community level with timely, understandable and actionable warning information, including lack of capacities to make use of the information. The resulting societal benefits of early warning systems have thus been spread unevenly across regions, countries and communities. 7.3 Currently, efforts are needed to determine how multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) should combine risk and impact information from multiple sources in their warning messages and integrate technical, social and financial capacities dedicated to different hazards through coordination mechanisms among stakeholders, including effective feedback mechanisms for continuous improvement. Such a multi-hazard approach to early warning systems can provide economies of scale and eventually sustainability of the system as a whole. However, such approaches require extensive coordination, expertise and engagement of all relevant stakeholders in order to provide effective user-oriented, end-to-end early warnings, risk information and assessment of hazardous events that may occur simultaneously or cumulatively over time, taking into account their potential interrelated effects.

74 RA IV-17/INF. 4.1(1), p The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretariat, along with other international and national agencies, established the International Network for Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (IN-MHEWS) as a major outcome of the session on Early Warning at the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in This multi-stakeholder partnership will facilitate the sharing of expertise and good practice on strengthening MHEWS as an integral component of national strategies for disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and building resilience. In doing so, it will support the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction , especially the achievement of its global target on MHEWS, and the United Nations Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience. The Conference is expected to be one of the first major activities to which IN-MHEWS will contribute. Needs/key issues to be addressed and support of Members needs and priorities 7.5 The outcomes of the Conference will highlight strategies and actions required to build, promote and strengthen multi-hazard early warning systems, especially how to address key gaps such as faster and broader dissemination of warnings and the quality of the information provided to those at risk at the last mile, through capacity development, operational support and improved coordination and governance. 7.6 The Conference will be used to define an approach to establish national baselines on early warning systems to be used by government agencies to report on advances in early warning efforts on a periodic basis as contemplated in the Sendai Framework. A main goal is therefore to take stock of the current level of development of single and multi-hazard early warning systems, i.e. their effectiveness, related actors and partnerships, coordination mechanisms, partnerships and gaps. The Conference is also expected to: (c) (d) (e) Advocate and promote the broadening of the scope of early warning, risk information and assessment to address multiple hazards and risks; Promote best practices for warnings to reach to people in need for timely action, including especially the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) standard for all hazards alerting across all kinds of media; Leverage progress in the development of observation and monitoring systems, the use of Big Data and the strengthening of capacities to use information and communication technology, particularly for LDC, SIDS and LLDC; Deduce requirements of multi-hazard early warning systems to comply to end-toend systems and interoperability with local, national and regional scales; Address transboundary and regional issues in developing and disseminating early warnings. 7.7 Specifically, the Conference will provide a good platform for WMO Members not possessing appropriate early warning systems to appraise themselves about the latest advances in this area and the strategies to implement MHEWS in their countries. It will also provide a platform to present innovative project proposals and latest advancements in science and technology and share good practice. Alignment with WMO strategic priorities and linkages with previous, ongoing or planned projects 7.8 The World Meteorological Congress, at its Seventeenth session held in May/ June 2015 (Cg-17), noted the need for more effective and wider implementation of MHEWS among the Members, as also expressed in the call in the Sendai Framework for DRR 2015-

75 RA IV-17/INF. 4.1(1), p For such an implementation of MHEWS, it is important to document the good practices and other national experiences in implementing MHEWS and prepare guidelines on institutional coordination and cooperation and the role of NMHSs in implementing MHEWS. There is also an urgent need for addressing transboundary and regional issues in developing, disseminating and responding to early warnings. Accordingly, Cg-17 requested the WMO Executive Council (EC), the regional associations (RAs) and technical commissions (TCs), and the Secretariat to guide and assist with the WMO contributions to the development of the hydrometeorological elements of the IN-MHEWS proposed at the Third United Nations World Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) in March To address these issues, Cg-17 also encouraged the organization of an International Conference on Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (IC-MHEWS subsequently the MHEWC) in 2016, in collaboration with appropriate international, regional and national agencies and institutions. This Conference was seen to link to conferences held on Early Warning Systems in 2000, 2003 and Accordingly, WMO and UNISDR, in collaboration with a number of other United Nations agencies, international and regional organizations and key national agencies, are organizing the Conference in conjunction with the UNISDR Global Platform in Cancún in May These actions link to and assist our Members in achieving the key WMO strategic priorities of Disaster Risk Reduction, the development of a Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) and capacity development. 8. Other notable WMO DRR activities 8.1 National technical agencies such as meteorological, hydrological, geological and marine services play crucial roles in collecting, analysing and providing hazard and risk information. Their collaboration with DRM agencies, natural and social scientists and the media, for example, is important for making effective use of this information and the services provided. It is also important for supporting risk-informed decision-making and development planning at national and local levels. One can note the capacity development projects of WMO with activities covering RA IV, for example the Severe Weather Forecasting Demonstration Project (SWFDP) which uses the cascading forecasting process to bring high-value information from global models run by developed NMHSs to Least Developed Countries NMHSs for timely and accurate forecasts and warnings for efficient decision-making, the Coastal Inundation Forecasting Demonstration Project (CIFDP) and the Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS). 8.2 The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) provides the international standard for emergency alerting and public warning for all hazards, including those related to weather events, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, public health, power outages and many other emergencies. This Protocol also applies to all media, including communications media ranging from sirens to mobile phones, faxes, radio, television and various web-based communication networks. WMO organizes annual CAP training workshops in collaboration with other organizations such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the OASIS (Advancing open standards for the information society) consortium which helps in the advancement of CAP. 8.3 It can be noted that many NMHSs in RA IV are actively engaged in DRR-related activities as well as within regional organizations such as the Caribbean Meteorological Organisation and the RA IV Hurricane Committee. NMHSs in RA IV are encouraged to continue this work and coordinate with the Association and engage in regional DRR-related platforms, networks and partnerships, in particular in the fields of MHEWS and the identification/ cataloguing of extreme weather, water and climate events.

76 World Meteorological Organization REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) Seventeenth Session San José, Costa Rica, 27 to 31 March 2017 RA IV-17/INF. 4.1(2) Submitted by: Secretary-General.2017 PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES AND THE PROVISION OF MULTI-HAZARD IMPACT-BASED FORECAST AND WARNING SERVICES Moving towards forecasting impacts 1. Despite the science, technology, data, and other resources that exist in the collective meteorological community, some recent severe weather and associated events have been the cause of many deaths and destruction of properties and loss of livelihoods. The question frequently asked is: how should we, as the meteorological community, change what we are doing so that we can better contribute to mitigating the impacts of severe meteorological events and in particular the loss of life. It is generally agreed that the primary responsibility of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) is to provide timely and accurate forecasts and warnings of meteorological events and hazards. However, in order for governments, economic sectors and the public to take appropriate action, they need to know how the meteorological hazard will impact their lives, livelihoods, property and the economy. 2. Understanding disaster risk and forecasting meteorological impacts are generally beyond the remit of meteorologists and hydrologists. However in most countries, those affected are demanding more than statements of expected weather conditions from their NMHSs (Ref.: CBS-15, Abridged Final Report, Annex VI). Solving this problem is a challenge to developing and developed economies alike. The risk associated with a meteorological hazard depends on knowing how that hazard impacts human beings, their livelihoods, and assets due to their vulnerability and exposure. The sixty-fifth session of the WMO Executive Council (EC-65, Geneva, May 2013, ref.: EC-65 Abridged Final Report, general summary paragraphs ) discussed the NMHSs move towards impact-based forecasting and risk-based warnings in the provision of public warning services in support of social resilience through behaviour modification in society. Subsequently, CBS tasked the PWS Programme to prepare a set of guidelines to assist Members in the implementation of impact-based forecast and warning services. Responding to this task the PWS experts developed The WMO Guidelines on Multi-hazard Impact-based Forecast and Warning Services (WMO-No. 1150), which was published in CBS-16 requested the preparation of a step-by-step implementation strategy, including examples of good practice by Members, based on the above-mentioned WMO Guidelines. 3. Issues related to impact-based forecasts and warnings are complex and require planning and forging of partnerships at many levels and with many other government agencies and stakeholders: not only with disaster managers, but also with those responsible for urban planning, education authorities, health authorities, etc. These complexities often lead to reluctance of meteorologists to forecast impacts since extensive knowledge of vulnerability and exposure are required and can only be addressed through data sharing among different agencies and departments. However, forecasting the impact of a hazard (what the weather will do), is often more important than the meteorological forecast (what the weather will be) because it is defined in terms of parameters more readily understood by those at risk and those responsible for mitigating those risks. Such forecasts will ensure that critical weather information is communicated about societal impacts to individuals and sectors most at risk. This information should be made available to the community in a variety of easy-to-understand formats.

77 RA IV-17/INF. 4.1(2), p The implementation of the WMO Strategy for Service Delivery will be an important tool for integrating impact-based forecasting and risk-based warnings into a common planning framework to maximize benefits and allow for planning and maintenance of observing infrastructure, and efficient implementation of predictive services of Members in support of social resilience and mitigation of impacts. The PWS and underpinning observing capabilities of Members need to be upgraded and strengthened on a continuous basis to cope with the optimum delivery of new services, ranging from day-to-day operations to providing guidance informing decision makers and policy makers on longer timescales. 5. Due to the emerging and somewhat unfamiliar nature of the subject, the WMO Guidelines on Multi-Hazard Impact-based Forecast and Warning Services have been introduced to a number of Members during national stakeholder workshops in order to familiarize them with the challenges and issues involved. At the request of Curaçao, a Stakeholder Workshop was convened in the country in October 2016 to provide guidance and assistance to the Meteorological Department of Curaçao (MDC) and national stakeholders on the implementation of impact-based forecasting for Curaçao. The main goal of the workshop was to help stakeholders develop individual: hazard matrices for those hazards that impacted their particular sector and to separate those into primary, secondary and tertiary hazards, impact matrices to show the impact of a hazard on their particular sector and classify it in terms of the severity of the impact, and (c) mitigation advice matrices for each hazard. This exercise occupied the main duration of the workshop and was a clear first step towards proceeding with thinking about cascading consequences of hazards into impacts and the necessary mitigation actions. Based on the outcome of the analysis of the matrices and discussions on the requirements for next steps, a technical discussion was held with the participation of the Permanent Representative of Curaçao and Sint Maarten with WMO and all the stakeholders and a follow-up plan for the implementation of impact-based forecasting in Curaçao was mapped out. All participants agreed that this new approach to forecasting and warnings would provide them with much more useful information than threshold-driven approach to forecasts of hazards. It was agreed to establish a Working Group on Impact Based Forecasting (IBF) and Warning, coordinated by MDC, which would steer implementation of Impact-based forecasting and warning services. The Working Group would have representatives from MDC and core stakeholders including the Disaster Management Authority, the Red Cross, Legislation and Legal Affairs, Ministry of Traffic, Transport and Urban Planning, Agriculture, Tourism, Ministry of Health, Port Authorities and Port Organization, media/communication specialist, and others as necessary. 6. Plans are underway to establish a Global Meteo-Alarm System which will be a portal for displaying and distributing warnings issued by Members. The World Weather Information Service (WWIS) which is a global platform that displays forecasts and climate information for selected cities and the Severe Weather Information Centre (SWIC) which displays cyclone warnings, as well as other related existing platforms will be leveraged in the development of the Global Meteo-Alarm System.

78 World Meteorological Organization REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) Seventeenth Session San José, Costa Rica, 27 to 31 March 2017 RA IV-17/INF. 4.1(6) Submitted by: Secretary-General 2.III.2017 COASTAL INUNDATION FORECASTING The Coastal Inundation Forecasting Demonstration Project (CIFDP) is a multi-hazard warning system that promotes an integrated approach in the enhancement and delivery of early warnings, no matter what the causes for coastal inundations are, in line with the concept of impact-based forecasting and the UN Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). Implementation will demonstrate how integrated coastal inundation forecasting and warnings can be improved and effectively coordinated by the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs). The CIFDP is jointly coordinated by the WMO-IOC Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) and the WMO Commission for Hydrology (CHy), with support from the WMO Secretariat (Marine Meteorology and Ocean Affairs Division, and the Hydrological Forecasting and Water Resources Division). The strategic approach for the CIFDP was formally adopted by JCOMM-4 (2012); sub-projects have commenced since, with expected completion by Cg-18 in Cg-17 noted its continued support of the CIFDP sub-projects currently underway. Further information about the CIFDP is available on the JCOMM website, including the CIFDP Implementation Plan (JCOMM TR-64). 1. Key achievements (c) (d) (e) (f) The CIFDP is currently underway in four sub-projects (Bangladesh, Dominican Republic-Haiti, Fiji and Indonesia). Substantial progress has been made in each of these CIFDP sub-projects since 2013 to date (mostly Phases 1 to 2). The Caribbean project (Dominican Republic Haiti) is expected to be completed by the end of 2018; The CIFDP directly relates to four of the five WMO Strategic Priorities (DRR, Service Delivery, GFCS, and Capacity-building); The CIFDP Steering Group met in February 2017 and agreed to progress the scope of services emanating from the CIFDP and, in turn, focus on the interdependencies of technical commissions (especially CBS as the potential delivery arm for CIFDP services) and WMO service-oriented programmes (such as Severe Weather Forecasting Demonstration Project (SWFDP) and PWS-driven impact-based service delivery strategies) that could complement and support the CIFDP; The Flood Forecasting Initiative Advisory Group, established by Resolution 15 (Cg-XVI), met in Geneva from 1 to 3 December 2015, and adopted a new work plan that was endorsed by EC-68 through Decision 7, that specifically includes activities to ensure that the CIFDP includes the requirements in its design and implementation, and reflects best practices for effective and sustainable flood forecasting; CIFDP experts have been instrumental in carrying out the activities towards improving multi-hazard warning systems and in particular the efforts of the CIFDP to integrate with other WMO Programmes, including the Severe Weather Forecast Demonstration Project (SWFDP), the Flood Forecasting Initiative (FFI), the Tropical Cyclone Programme (TCP) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR); The technical commissions, in particular JCOMM and CHy, have put in place mechanisms to ensure the flow of science and technology to operations for the CIFDP sub-projects;

79 RA IV-17/INF. 4.1(6), p. 2 (g) The CIFDP Steering Group is committed to the completion of the CIFDP sub-projects, and to implementation towards effective service delivery. As part of this, the Project Steering Group will continue to provide their recommendations for future implementation and lessons learned, which will help to avoid duplication of efforts and target available resources of benefit to all. This will be further described during the CIFDP PSG-7 meeting (Geneva, 20 to 22 February 2017). 2. Remaining gaps and challenges (c) (d) In some cases, the need remains to further strengthen collaboration between the National Meteorological Services and the National Hydrological Services when undertaking a National CIFDP; The recent fifteenth session of the Commission for Hydrology (CHy), held from 7 to 13 December 2016, discussed the transitioning of the demonstration phase of CIFDP to one of an operational nature that would allow more countries to benefit from what has been attained through the CIFDP. It also requested the president of CHy to coordinate a joint assessment of the initial phase of CIFDP with the President of JCOMM and, depending on the results, to consider the desirability of developing a governance structure and procedures that would transition the CIFDP to a more sustainable platform for the strengthening of national multi-hazard early warning systems to address flooding in coastal areas. This will be considered by the fifth session of JCOMM to be held in Bali, Indonesia (October 2017); The CIFDP should integrate as much as possible with the existing complementary WMO Programmes, initiatives and activities under the technical commissions (e.g. JCOMM, CHy, CBS). Where possible, it should also integrate with international tsunami forecasting and warning systems (facilitated by the UNESCO-IOC Working Group on Tsunamis and Other Hazards Related to Sea-Level Warning and Mitigation Systems (TOWS-WG)). In the case of the Caribbean project, a strong interaction and synergies have been achieved with the ongoing projects performed by the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (ICG/CARIBE EWS); To ensure full completion of the CIFDP, the relevant technical commissions, Regional Association IV and experts must remain engaged, and WMO also needs to maintain resources (human and financial) to facilitate the completion of the RA IV sub-project by Cg-18, and its future extension to other islands or coastal countries in the wider Caribbean. 3. Partnerships and resources mobilized (c) USAID funding has supported the CIFDP RA-IV sub-project in the Caribbean, through an agreement with the National Hurricane Centre (NHC). This funding commitment will continue until the completion of the project; and extension to other countries in the region will be considered; WMO regular budget funds are also being used, complemented by the extrabudgetary funds, when needed; Members continue to offer in-kind support for expert advice and data needs for the projects.

80 World Meteorological Organization REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) Seventeenth Session San José, Costa Rica, 27 to 31 March 2017 RA IV-17/INF. 4.2(3) Submitted by: Secretary-General 21.III.2017 CLIMATE SERVICES INFORMATION SYSTEM (CSIS) WMO climate statements on the global climate 1. WMO published in November 2016 a climate assessment covering the five-year period (WMO-No.1179). The five-year Climate Statement was presented at the Earth Info Day event organized by the UNFCCC secretariat at the occasion of the Conference of Parties (COP22). The 5-year report can be found at: o_1179_statement2016_5years_web_en.pdf 2. WMO released a provisional Statement on the global climate in It is available at: 3. WMO published in 2013 a ten-year climate report: The Global Climate a decade of climate extremes. A complete version WMO-No 1103 is available at and a summary report WMO-No is available at: 4. WMO has been publishing an annual Statement on the Status of global climate since 1993 the complete series of these statements can be found at: The International Data Rescue portal I-DARE 1. The International Data Rescue portal I-DARE ( has been implemented to provide a global integrated infrastructure for collating information on data rescue activities worldwide. The long term goal of I-DARE is to provide a global overview of data rescue needs and activities worldwide to facilitate enhanced coordination of data rescue assistance. The portal provides state-of-the art guidelines and information on tools and technologies for rescuing data. 2. Members are encouraged to contribute to the portal by registering national data rescue needs as well as ongoing data rescue activities. A quick start guide for registering data rescue information is available in the portal. Members have been invited to nominate a national I-DARE contact person to facilitate communication and information exchange. Scope and Terms of Reference for I-DARE contact persons are available in the portal. 3. More than 40 Members nominated a national contact person at the end of November I-DARE is supervised by the WMO Commission for Climatology Expert Team on Data Rescue (ET DARE) and operated by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) under the auspices of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS).

81 RA IV-17/INF. 4.2(3), p More information on the portal can be obtained by request to Dr Peter Siegmund (peter.siegmund@knmi.nl), member of CCl ET DARE and I-DARE lead, or to WMO (wcdmp@wmo.int). Climate Services and RCC implementation in the RA IV 1. RA IV GFCS Task Team contributions 1.1 The enhancement and operation of RCCs and of the Regional Climate Outlook Forum (RCOFs) was included in the RA IV Operating Plan, as one of the high priorities. To meet the adopted regional priorities the Association established the GFCS Task Team (GFCS TT) with the following focus areas: Assessment of climate service capacities, RCCs, RCOFs, Research, Prediction and Tools. 1.2 There has been a notable progress in the implementation of Regional Climate Centres (RCCs) in the RA IV during the intersessional period. The RA IV GFCS TT contributed to this activity through its Expert Team on RCC (ET-RCC). 1.3 During the meeting in May 2015 in San José, Costa Rica, the ET-RCC of GFCS TT finalized the RCC Roadmap, defining RCCs roles and responsibilities, and the mechanisms for implementation and coordination of actions, in order to avoid duplication of effort and to prioritize gaps. 1.4 Based on the analysis of existing RA IV capabilities to perform the mandatory and highly recommended functions of WMO RCCs, the ET-RCC agreed upon geographic regions for each RCC, determined strategy to fill the gaps in mandatory other key functions, and finalized report with specific actions for implementation. Language issues across RA IV (Spanish, English, Dutch, and French) were also considered while planning RCC implementation. 1.5 The ET RCC considered the following geographical coverage with certain degree of overlap within and beyond the Region: - The United States RCC to provide products and services for the entire Region; - The Caribbean RCC currently provides the mandatory functions for all the Caribbean, including the Spanish speaking countries and Belize in Central America, and Guyana and Suriname in RA III; - The Climate Services Center (CSC) for Mesoamerica and the Caribbean would provide climate services in Central America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands; - The proposed Arctic Polar RCC network would cover the entire Arctic region, cutting across RA II, IV, and VI, and will require inter-regional coordination; - The North America Climate Services Partnership would provide services at the Mexico-USA and Canada-USA borders. The ET agreed that coordination/collaboration mechanisms are required for overlaps in RCCs domains. 1.6 The following needs and opportunities have been identified: - A recognized need for the development of an RCC coordination strategy for Region IV on how these various existing and proposed entities will fit together, how to build and coordinate regional and inter-regional partnerships; - RA IV benefits from the existing GFCS TT that serves and will possibly continue serving as the key mechanism for interaction and effective coordination between the WMO RCCs and CSCs within the Region.

82 RA IV-17/INF. 4.2(3), p Arctic Polar Regional Climate Centres Network 2.1 The Seventeenth World Meteorological Congress (Cg-17) agreed that Polar and High Mountain Regions become one of the seven WMO Priorities for , especially to Improve operational meteorological and hydrological monitoring, prediction and services in polar, high mountain regions and beyond. Through Resolution 40 (Cg-17), Congress decided that an integrated approach is needed to provide required services to users and advice to governments about adaptation and mitigation, based on an understanding of the global impact of changes in Polar and High Mountain Regions. 2.2 A Scoping Workshop was held in November 2015 to facilitate the engagement of the user, research, and operational communities to take preliminary steps toward the development an Arctic Polar Regional Climate Centre (PRCC) network. The meeting agreed on different approaches/options identified for Arctic PRCC, and identified a list of actions towards the implementation of Arctic PRCC. In terms of governance/coordination of an Arctic PRCC it was proposed to be addressed through Arctic Council. 2.2 A Coordination Meeting on Arctic PRCC-Network Implementation Planning was held in November 2016 under the leadership of the Executive Council Panel of Experts on Polar and High Mountain Observations, Research and Services (EC-PHORS) Services Task Team (STT), to facilitate discussions of the potential contributing agencies on the technical and organizational arrangements for the proposed Arctic PRCC-Network and to support the launch of a demonstration phase in The Meeting agreed on the follow up actions required for launch and operation of the Arctic PRCC. The Implementation Plan is under development, and it is planned to initiate the demonstration phase in the course of Meanwhile it has been also agreed to convene the first session of the Arctic Polar Regional Climate Outlook Forum (PCOF) during the second half of The above meetings and activities in support of the Arctic PRCC-Network have been part of a project on implementing the GFCS on regional and national scales, funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2.5 The Arctic PRCC-Network is further addressed under draft Decision 4.5/3 (RA IV-17). 3. Caribbean Regional Climate Centre 3.1 The CIMH formally started its demonstration phase in April 2013 to seek designation as a WMO RCC, to support climate services in the Island States of the Caribbean basin. During this period the CIMH showed significant progress and it currently produces and disseminates through the dedicated website ( 3.2 Given the progress and successful implementation of RCC Caribbean, the Commission for Basic Systems at its sixteenth session recommended it for formal designation. The RCC Caribbean hosted at CIMH will be formally designated, once the recommended amendments to the GDPFS Manual are adopted by EC The United States of America RCC 4.1 The United States of America, through the president of RA IV, informed about the intention to start the demonstration phase of the United States Regional Climate Centre (USRCC), as a multi-functional RCC, providing mandatory functions over the

83 RA IV-17/INF. 4.2(3), p. 4 References: entire RA IV. During this period the USRCC will consolidate its capacity to perform mandatory functions on an operational basis. Further consultations with RA IV members will be done during the demonstration phase to identify more functions that will be useful to the NMHSs in the RA IV. 1. Report of the Scoping Workshop on Climate Services for Polar Regions: Establishing Polar Regional Climate Centres Towards Implementing an Arctic PRCC-Network, Geneva, November ( 2. Report of the Arctic Polar Regional Climate Centre (PRCC) Network Implementation Planning Meeting, Geneva, 7-9 November 2016 ( 3. Abridged final report with resolutions and decisions, Executive Council Sixty-eighth session Geneva June Abridged final report with resolutions, Seventeenth World Meteorological Congress, Geneva, 25 May 12 June 2015

84 World Meteorological Organization REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(1) Submitted by: Secretary-General 13.II.2017 Seventeenth Session San José, Costa Rica, 27 to 31 March 2017 GUIDANCE ON THE NATIONAL WIGOS IMPLEMENTATION Purpose of document The purpose of this document is to assist WMO Members in developing their National Observation Strategy and National WIGOS Implementation Plan to design, plan and evolve their National Observing System (NOS) as a national WIGOS observing component. The guidance aligns with the WIGOS related technical regulations and guidance material developed under the governance of ICG-WIGOS. National WIGOS Implementation For WIGOS to deliver on its vision 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", commitments and actions are required at the global, regional and national levels. Member NMHSs are expected to become the key integrators at the national level, both by strengthening their own observing systems according to the regulations and guidance provided by the WIGOS framework, and by building national partnerships and providing national leadership based on their experience in the acquisition, processing and dissemination of observational data for environmental monitoring and prediction purposes. The leadership role of NMHSs in integrated observing systems and the engagement with national partners are central to the success of WIGOS implementation. WIGOS provides an opportunity to strengthen the role of NMHSs in all aspects of their national mandates, from national coordination and exchange of observations across all relevant domains (weather, climate, hydrology, space weather, ocean, atmospheric composition, cryosphere, environment, etc.,) and reinforce their status as the national meteorological and hydrological service provider of choice. Proactive engagement with all relevant stakeholders, users and partners, is a great opportunity to build stronger relationships. Both formal and informal, regular and ad hoc productive two-way communications with stakeholders is needed. NMHSs are operating in a rapidly changing environment in terms of technological advances and the increasing demand for more and more diverse services from increasingly sophisticated and capable users. Technological advancements and related trends like big data and crowd sourcing, the emergence of commercial observing networks, data and service providers, and the affordability of digital technology, all are game changers that require rapid adaptation and change in behaviour from both the NMHSs and the private sector. The private sector may contribute by accelerating the uptake of technological innovations, and be able to assist NMHSs in providing more efficient, attractive and accessible personalized services. NMHSs will benefit in working with private sector partners to introduce those innovative methods into their own operations. There are many opportunities for optimization and efficiency through integration of networks, computing power and service delivery. By Cg-18 (2019), all Members should be WIGOS Ready. Per the Plan for the WIGOS Preoperational Phase 1 this includes: 1 Final Report from EC-68, Geneva, June 2016, Resolution 2 (EC-68)

85 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(1), p. 2 (1) OSCAR/Surface: completed WIGOS metadata of all observing stations across all WIGOS components for which observations are exchanged internationally; (2) WIGOS metadata compliance achieved; 2 (3) WIGOS Station Identifiers: implemented; 3 (4) WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System (WDQMS): national process for acting on quality problem information received from the WDQMS in place; (5) Embracing all NMHS-operated observing systems and willing partners; (6) National WIGOS governance, coordination and implementation mechanisms established; (7) Nomination of national WIGOS focal points and OSCAR focal points completed. Further expected outcomes above the minimum level can be as follows: (1) Enhanced national integrated observing system delivering better, and better documented observational input to support national service needs in a more cost-effective way; (2) Increased integration and open sharing of observations from WMO and non-wmo sources across national and regional boundaries; (3) Progressively improved availability and quality of WIGOS observational data and metadata; (4) Increased visibility and strengthened role of NMHSs at their national level; (5) Enhanced cooperation with partners at the national and regional levels; (6) Enhanced culture of compliance with the Technical Regulations (WMO-No. 49), Volume I, Part I WIGOS and Manual on the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WMO-No. 1160; (7) Improved human and technical capacity of Members for planning, implementation and operations of WIGOS. To achieve that, the following key activities are envisaged to take place at a national level: (1) Analysis of current and future national strategic requirements, needs and priorities, and biggest gaps in observations, systems, processes, capabilities, etc.; (2) Analysis of the national implications of the WIGOS concept of integration, partnerships, data sharing, WIGOS relevant technical regulations and culture of compliance, etc., at a national level; (3) Development of a National WIGOS Implementation Plan; (4) Critical analysis of capabilities and gaps (systems, processes, people, networks, governance, issues of compliance); (5) Specification of expected deliverables, outcomes, milestones, and key performance indicators for the national WIGOS implementation; (6) Establishment of governance and key relationships. 2 See the Manual on the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WMO-No. 1160), 2.5 Observational metadata 3 See the Manual on the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WMO-No. 1160), General requirements

86 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(1), p. 3 Development of a National Observing Strategy (understanding national needs and priorities) Development of a National Observing Strategy will enable the NMHS to better meet user needs and demands, and will help ensure that the NMHS has the best basis for planning of its investment in systems, science and people. It will also permit the NMHS to make informed decisions based on user requirements for future planning purposes. Four key principles that guide the Strategy are: (1) demand- and user-driven products and services; (2) a phased approach to implementation; (3) effective partnerships; and (4) building on core strengths. The Strategy will recognize the NMHS as a strategic national asset that contributes to national security, principal of which are transport, food, water, energy and health (Key Pillars of GFCS), in addition to being vital to sustainable development, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and disaster risk reduction. To that end, the National Observing Strategy should be well-aligned with the overarching vision, mission and strategic plan of the NMHS. It should also set the scene for the partnerships that will be sought in implementing WIGOS. 4 Recognising that the National Observing Strategy provides the overall strategic framework for implementing WIGOS, it should also recognise the needs, goals and users of the broader environmental observing community who may be considered partners in implementing WIGOS, including marine, atmospheric, hydrological and cryospheric observing communities. Examples of National Observing Strategies can be found at: (1) (2) Development of a National WIGOS Implementation Plan The National WIGOS Implementation Plan (N-WIP) builds on the National Observing Strategy, and specifies expected deliverables and outcomes, priorities, activities, milestones, timeline, resources, responsibilities, key performance indicators, etc., needed for: (1) Establishment of national (and subregional/cross-border when appropriate) WIGOS governance and coordination and management mechanisms for planning, implementation and coordination of their national observing systems in place; (2) Development of key national partnerships/relationships; (3) Design, planning and evolution of the national composite observing system, including identification and mitigation of critical gaps (the national RRR process implementation) 5 ; (4) Gap analysis of WIGOS related systems, processes, people, governance, issues of compliance; (5) Sustained and standardized operation of national observing networks/systems in compliance with the Technical Regulations (WMO-No. 49), Volume I, Part I WIGOS and Manual on the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WMO-No. 1160); (6) Operational implementation of WIGOS Metadata Standard through populating the OSCAR/Surface database and keeping its content up-to-date; (7) Operational implementation of WIGOS Station Identifiers; (8) Monitoring of availability and quality of their observations through the national WDQMS and taking corrective actions as necessary (Incident Management); (9) Systematic and rigorous performance monitoring and evaluation of WIGOS capabilities; (10) Increased integration and open-sharing of observations from NMHSs and non-nmhss sources; 4 See also WMO Integrated Strategic Planning Handbook (WMO-No. 1180) 5 See: 1) Manual on the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WMO-No. 1160), Principles for observing network design and planning; 2) Initial version of the Guide to WIGOS.

87 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(1), p. 4 (11) Development and implementation of a data and information framework; 6 (12) Implementation of modern data lifecycle management and practices; (13) Availability and protection of suitable radiofrequency bands required for meteorological and related environmental operations and research; (14) Development of an effective resource mobilization strategy; (15) Development of a risk management plan; (16) Development of a workforce plan and/or capacity development plan of the staff managing and operating national observing networks/systems. The N-WIP is a plan to put the national WIGOS framework in place, not fix all problems and issues. It is a tool to start planning of observation improvements. It should be realistic and achievable. Planning Planning is the first step of the so-called Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle, the chief aim of which is to ensure continued improvement of a given service or product, in the case of WIGOS observations flowing to the WMO community. In the WIGOS implementation, it is important to maintain an integrated view of user requirements and corresponding capabilities based on the Rolling Review of Requirements (RRR) process. To fully embrace the WIGOS concept at the national level requires an integrated approach to the design, planning and operation of the full suite of national observing systems. This means, in effect, operations of a national composite observing system (that is, a system of systems) that is optimised to address diverse user needs as efficiently and effectively as possible and with just enough redundancy and overlap to provide resilience and continuity. The implementation of a national RRR process will provide the Member with a way to understand and assess user requirements, to inform the characteristics of the observations required and to design the system solutions that will deliver them; a tool for coordinated evolution of the NOS to tackle those requirements in an integrated way. A comprehensive strategic and operational planning process will then allow the development of staged approaches to the design, development and implementation of new and/or improved systems, processes and networks, supported by the development of well-structured business cases and budget proposals. Budget shortfalls may of course limit or delay the achievability of the overall plans, but the information gained through the RRR process will still inform decisions on priority use of existing resources. The planning includes close collaboration and coordination with all users to assess their requirements; a review of the existing components of the NOS; assessment of their adequacy in meeting current and future requirements; identifying future opportunities; prioritizing; and finally deciding on a strategy matched with resources available. Close collaboration and cooperation among the NMHS and other relevant national agencies, establishment and implementation of appropriate mechanisms, defining partnerships and data policy principles, while respecting ownership, are needed to meet WIGOS requirements at national level. It specifically refers to enhanced cooperation among meteorological, hydrological and marine/oceanographic institutions/services where they are separated at the national level as well as national implementation mechanisms for related international observing programmes such as the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), and the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). In addition to meeting requirements at a national level, the NMHS needs to address international commitments as a part of the design, development and implementation of the NOS. Driving forces likely to impact on the design, operations and required deliverables of the NOS in the future include: 6 See example at:

88 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(1), p. 5 (1) Need for a holistic approach to planning and evolution of the NOS and enhanced integration of its components; (2) Growing demand for meteorological services overall, in contrast to a decrease in the availability of public funding to support the necessary infrastructure; (3) Greater emphasis on climate monitoring and services in addition to continued demands for weather-related services; (4) Increased requirements for quality management, standardization and interoperability, efficiency and cost effectiveness; and (5) Available or emerging technological opportunities. The National WIGOS Implementation Plan should reflect the Member s national situation, in terms of the mandate of its NMHS, the requirements of the user community and the need to reach out to partners to develop an integrated observing system to meet national service needs. It should link the NMHS with their national partners for increased integration and open sharing of observations, including those from non-wmo sources. There is not a one size fits all approach. The WMO Members and their NMHSs differ in terms of size and available resources, whether financial, technical or scientific, and therefore their N-WIPs will naturally differ both in content and style. While Members can learn from the plans and experiences of others, through case studies and workshops, Members will be provided with additional WMO guidance materials to assist them in understanding the various steps in the planning process In developing their national WIGOS implementation plans, Members should be guided by the Key Activity Areas (KAA's) of the WIGOS framework Implementation Plan (WIP) that comprise the building blocks of the WIGOS framework as well as by the Regional WIGOS Implementation Plan of the respective Regional Association. The WIGOS National Self-assessment Checklist was developed to help Members better understand the WIGOS Framework to be implemented in their countries; to help Members in assessing their readiness for the implementation and the challenges ahead of them, but especially to recognize that WIGOS is a natural change progress. The Self-assessment Checklist is also useful in assessing Member s priorities, plans, gaps and capabilities, etc., and will provide the basis for developing an achievable national WIGOS plan. Members are encouraged to draw on the WIGOS National Self-assessment Checklist; some completed examples are available at: A wide range of other materials already exist to guide Members in relation to WIGOS, including EGOS-IP and relevant plans for GFCS, GAW, WHOS, GCW, GCOS, etc. 7. Altogether, these assist in identifying national priorities and gaps in observations, systems, processes, capabilities, etc., and provide the basis for developing a national WIGOS plan. Alignment of WIGOS plans with national planning for GFCS, DRR, WIS and other WMO priorities is an important opportunity: (1) To ensure that their specific observations requirements are factored in as effectively as possible; (2) To capture efficiencies and synergies and avoid duplication of effort and potential conflict; (3) To optimize and align capacity development and project opportunities; and (4) To demonstrate to stakeholders and donors the professionalism and joined-up approach of the NMHS. 7 The corresponding links will be included in due course.

89 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(1), p. 6 Data management Careful management of data and their associated metadata is a vital aspect of any observing network/system, with real-time monitoring centres as well as with delayed-mode analysis centres. A key component of such a data/metadata management includes non-stop monitoring of the data stream with feedback and corrective actions when needed. This includes timely quality monitoring of the observations by the monitoring centres and early notification (that is, incident management) to observing system operators and managers of both random and systematic errors, so that timely corrective actions can be taken. Such an operational system is needed that can track, identify, and notify network managers and operators of observational irregularities, especially time-dependent biases, as close to real-time as possible. Resources In a time with increasing demands for meteorological information and services and decreasing resources it becomes of crucial importance to invest the available resources where they create most benefit. The gap analysis of the RRR process will help identify where this is the case. The success of the WIGOS implementation will depend critically upon protecting adequate resources for both technical programme management and specific network needs. Data/metadata acquisition, processing and management systems that facilitate access, processing, monitoring, use, and interpretation of the data with a help of associated metadata have crucial importance. It is important to recognize that WIGOS activities are primarily within the responsibility of the individual WMO Members and that the cost should be covered by national resources. WIGOS implementation requires planning, priority setting and committed effort over a considerable number of years. It has been learned from Members experiences that substantial changes in the national observing system depend on substantial adjustments to resource commitments. Such adjustments are not easy without planning and priority setting with a long lead time. Conclusion Establishing a comprehensive system of systems that meets the observational needs of multiple users and applications areas will take effort, and each Member will need to assess the size of that challenge and weigh up the costs and benefits. Through engagement of non-nmhs organisations in a national system of systems, the NMHS may consolidate and strengthen its role as the national meteorological authority, especially in areas where it may not already be firmly established, for example in climate monitoring and delivery of climate services. Integration does not mean that one size fits all. Where opportunities exist to serve multiple needs with a single solution, real efficiencies can be delivered, but as a rule, integration is more about finding an optimum balance between needs and solutions. As the integration process moves forward, gaps and shortcomings, incompatibilities, deficiencies in national observing system capabilities and duplications of efforts will be identified and addressed. This is the most cost effective and efficient way to make better use of existing infrastructure and improve the timeliness, quality and utilization of observational information for enhanced services and decision making. Assistance Provided by the WMO Secretariat Within the WMO Secretariat, the WIGOS Project Office of the Observing and Information Systems Department (OBS) provides the necessary support to Members when implementing WIGOS at a national level. Any WIGOS related inquiry and request for assistance should be sent to the Secretariat using the following address: wigos-help@wmo.int.

90 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(1), DRAFT 1, p. 7 Annex The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle The PDCA cycle is an efficient tool for continual improvement. The methodology applies to both high-level strategic processes and to simple operational activities. It consists of: (1) P-Plan: plan the improvement (based on the Gap analysis: what is required to be done; where, when and how to do it; who should do it); (2) D-Do: implement the plan; (3) C-Check: monitor and measure the results against the plan, requirements, policies and objectives; (4) A-Act: take actions and measures to improve the process/performance. The PDCA cycle is the never ending cycle that can be applied within any individual process or across a group of processes within the organization. Further information can be found at: Gap analysis Gap analysis is a technique for determining the steps to be taken in moving from a current state to a desired future state. It is also called need-gap analysis or needs analysis. Gap analysis allows the organization to compare an 'as is' scenario with a desired 'future state'. Gap analysis generally follows 5 steps: (1) reviewing a current [as is] system; (2) determining requirements of the proposed [future state] system and (3) comparing these two states in order (4) to determine the implications and (5) requirements involved in getting from one state [as is], to the other [future state]. Key gaps in observing capabilities identified will result in proposals for activities to fill these gaps reflecting priorities and taking into account resources available. (See also: Rolling Review of Requirements (RRR) process The RRR process described by the Manual on the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WMO-No. 1160), section , is used to compare user observing requirements with the capabilities of present and planned observing systems to provide them. The process consists of four stages: (1) A continuous review of user requirements for observations; (2) A continuous review of the observing capabilities of existing observing systems and available or emerging technological opportunities; (3) A critical review of the extent to which the capabilities (2) meet the requirements (1); (4) A Statement of Guidance based on (3). The RRR process will continuously issue new Statements of Guidance to be implemented in the NOS management. It is a process directly linked to the Act step of the PDCA cycle. The relationships between the RRR process and PDCA cycle is shown in the figure below:

91 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(1), p. 8 Relationships between the RRR process and PDCA cycle Plan RRR Proces s Act PDCA Cycle Do Check Quality improvement

92 World Meteorological Organization REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(2) Submitted by: Secretary-General 21.III.2017 Seventeenth Session San José, Costa Rica, 27 to 31 March 2017 PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES - REGIONAL ASPECTS OBSERVATIONS AND DATA EXCHANGE WMO INFORMATION SYSTEM (WIS) References: 1. RA IV Regional WIS Implementation Site: 2. Manual on WIS (WMO No 1060) Guide to WIS (WMO No 1061) RA IV-17/Doc. 4.3(2) Introduction 1. Reliable information is needed to support Disaster Risk Reduction (Sendai Framework priority 1 (paragraph 25a) and priority 4 (paragraph 33), the Global Framework for Climate Services' Climate Services Information System pillar, international air navigation (Manual on the Digital Exchange of Aeronautical Meteorological Information, ICAO 10003) and many other key WMO activities. 2. Resolution 3 (RA IV-16) tasked the RA IV Management group to regularly review and update the Implementation Plan; to guide, oversee and monitor progress in implementation of the Plan and to submit amendments/updates to the Plan to the president of the Association for approval. It also tasked the Management Group to coordinate with Members the implementation of the Regional Plan and to consult with the appropriate technical commissions on technical aspects of the implementation. This work was largely undertaken by Mr Glendell De Souza with support from the secretariat. GISC Washington also provided training on WIS Discovery metadata at an RA IV WIS training workshop, August 2015 in RTC Barbados. 3. Although WIS is operational at the global and regional level, it is apparent from surveys of National WIS focal points that the national implementation of WIS is problematic. Progress on implementing WIS in RA IV 4. A routine survey of all WIS National Focal Points updated in October 2016 (see Attachment) reveals that four (44%) out of the nine responders from RA IV reported a lack of corporate knowledge on WIS and five (55%) had not moved beyond planning to implement WIS. This implies WIS implementation is behind the global average of 35%. In addition, only one responder confirmed that their centre was certified by the PR as WIS compliant. Although only nine of the 20 Member states in RA IV focal points responded, it shows that there is a strong need to get WIS implementation on track by addressing Members knowledge of WIS and assisting those centres which have not yet started implementing WIS.

93 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(2), p The survey also showed that although 50% of those who responded can send TDCF messages, there is still some usage of TAC in operations. For the migration to TDCF to be completed, it will be necessary to identify why Members are still using TAC in operations and implement solutions, such as updating of forecaster workstations and visualisation tools to be fully TDCF compatible. Failure to address WIS implementation across the region will result in further increases in the technology gap between Members and, as WIS evolves and old GTS processes are retired, those not having implemented the new functionality will have less and less access to time and operational critical data needed for the provision of NMHS core functions. 6. The Attachment summarizes the 2016 survey of National WIS focal points and explores these issues further. Attachment: 1

94 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(2), p. 3 Attachment: Survey WIS National Focal Points (October 2016) A survey is conducted among WIS National Focal Points. Of the 88 responses, there were nine from RA IV. The current survey is online at Figure 1 National Knowledge of WIS Although only half the National WIS Focal Points completed the survey, the results indicate that although globally, the level of WIS knowledge is normally distributed, RA IV is behind on the path to having a good or better knowledge of WIS. A key focus for 2017 to 2020 should be to have all Members focal points completing the survey and to have all countries scoring level 3 or above. Figure 2 Status of WIS implementation The target set by Cg-XV for completion of national implementation of WIS was Cg-17 in Furthermore, Resolution 3 (RA IV-16) aimed for all Members to have achieved at least basic WIS functionality by the Seventeenth Congress and full WIS implementation by the seventeenth session of Regional Association IV The survey shows that there is still a significant lag in national implementation of WIS. A priority should be to assist those Members that have not started or only at the planning stage to have at least some of the new functionality in place, making use of the infrastructure and services of their principal GISC. GISC Washington, and others supporting countries or states in RA IV, should be encouraged to take the lead for those centres in their area of responsibility,

95 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(2), p. 4 especially those that are the principal GISC for, and help those centres to implement WIS using the GISC infrastructure and services. A major factor in implementing and using WIS is the ability to create and manage WIS Discovery Metadata (see WIS Competency 4 Manage data discovery as described in paragraph 1.8 of the Manual on WIS (WMO-No. 1060) and its Appendix E (available online at Figure three shows the regional distribution of responses for the 2016 survey. The level of response from RA IV only represents nine of the 20 Member States. Completing this survey should be seen as an important role of National WIS Focal Points as the information will be a key factor in prioritizing support for WIS implementation. The information is also used for determining the status of the Regional Meteorological Telecommunication Networks and how Members access information. It also monitors the level of progress on implementing Table Driven Code Forms (TDCF) and residual dependency of Members on TAC. Work will be done in the secretariat to improve the survey to a more user friendly system such as Survey Monkey. Figure 3 Regional Distribution of Responses Communications in use in RA IV Figure 4 shows that, as per the global view, the GTS and Internet are the most popular communication pathways, while Satellite Data Collection Platforms are also popular. There is less reliance on direct satellite transmission compared to the global response, while RA IV and RA V are major users of EMWIN and GEONETCAST. It should also be noted that the USA which provides the major GTS infrastructure for the Region plans to move all GTS connections to be over the Internet so like RA III, Members will need to ensure their Internet connectivity provides sufficient levels of reliability and security. This includes ensuring that all NMHS have at least two independent Internet Service Providers. They also need to be very aware of the GTS guidelines on security and use of the virtual private networks. See WMO-Nos 1115 and 1116 for more information on these aspects.

96 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(2), p. 5 Figure 4 Communications used in RA IV Migration to TDCF and reliance on TAC With regards to migration to TDCF, although half of the responses (4) from RA IV confirmed that they can send in TDCF, only two indicated that they do not use TAC operationally. This suggests that the migration to TDCF is not complete in the Region and that attention needs to be paid to ensure that Members move away from relying on TAC for their operations. Figure 5 Can you transmit TDCF Figure 6 Do you still use TAC operationally

97 Organización Meteorológica Mundial ASOCIACIÓN REGIONAL IV (AMÉRICA DEL NORTE, AMÉRICA CENTRAL Y EL CARIBE) RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(2) Presentado por: Secretario General 21.III.2017 Decimoséptima reunión San José, Costa Rica, 27 a 31 de marzo de 2017 ACTIVIDADES DE PROGRAMA: ASPECTOS REGIONALES OBSERVACIONES E INTERCAMBIO DE DATOS SISTEMA DE INFORMACIÓN DE LA OMM Referencias: 1. Sitio web del Plan regional de ejecución del Sistema de información de la Organización Meteorológica Mundial (SIO) en la Asociación Regional IV: 2. Manual del Sistema de información de la OMM (OMM-N 1060): 3. Guía del Sistema de información de la OMM (OMM-N 1061): 4. RA IV-17/Doc. 4.3(2) Introducción 1. Se requiere información fiable para respaldar la reducción del riesgo de desastres (prioridades de acción 1 (párrafo 25 a)) y 4 (párrafo 33 b)) del Marco de Sendái), el Sistema de información de servicios climáticos, pilar del Marco Mundial para los Servicios Climáticos, la navegación aérea internacional (Manual on the Digital Exchange of Aeronautical Meteorological Information, ICAO 10003) y muchas otras actividades clave de la OMM. 2. En la Resolución 3 (AR IV-16) se encomendó al Grupo de gestión de la Asociación Regional IV el examen y la actualización periódicos del Plan de ejecución; la orientación, la supervisión y la vigilancia de los progresos realizados en la aplicación del Plan; y la presentación de enmiendas o actualizaciones del Plan al presidente de la Asociación para su aprobación. Asimismo, también se pidió al Grupo de gestión que coordinara con los Miembros la aplicación del Plan regional y consultara sus aspectos técnicos con las comisiones técnicas apropiadas. El señor Glendell De Souza, con el apoyo de la Secretaría, se encargó de llevar a cabo gran parte de esta labor. El Centro Mundial del Sistema de Información (CMSI) de Washington también brindó formación sobre metadatos de localización del SIO en un taller de formación de la Asociación Regional IV dedicado a ese sistema (11 a 13 de agosto de 2015, Centro Regional de Formación de Barbados). 3. Si bien el SIO se encuentra en funcionamiento a nivel mundial y regional, las encuestas realizadas entre los coordinadores nacionales del SIO muestran claramente que la ejecución de ese sistema a escala nacional reviste problemas.

98 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(2), p. 2 Progresos en la ejecución del Sistema de Información de la Organización Meteorológica Mundial en la Asociación Regional IV 4. Según revelaron los resultados de una encuesta ordinaria realizada en octubre de 2016 entre todos los coordinadores nacionales del SIO (adjunto 1), a cuatro de los nueve encuestados de la Asociación Regional IV (el 44%) les faltaban conocimientos corporativos sobre ese Sistema, y cinco de ellos (el 55%) no habían pasado de la fase de planificación en lo que a ejecución del SIO se refiere. Ello supone una ejecución por debajo de la media mundial del 35%. Además, solo un encuestado confirmó que el Representante Permanente había certificado la conformidad de su centro con el SIO. Aunque solo se recibieron las respuestas de 9 de los coordinadores de los 20 Estados Miembros de la Asociación Regional IV, los resultados indican la necesidad imperiosa de encauzar la ejecución del SIO; para ello, debe fomentarse el conocimiento de los Miembros sobre el Sistema y brindarse ayuda a los centros que todavía no hayan iniciado su ejecución. 5. La encuesta también reveló que, aunque el 50% de los encuestados pueden enviar mensajes en claves determinadas por tablas (CDT), todavía utilizan en parte las claves alfanuméricas tradicionales (CAT) en las operaciones. A fin de completar la migración a las CDT, convendrá, por un lado, determinar las causas por las que los Miembros todavía recurren a las CAT en las operaciones y, por otro, poner en práctica soluciones como, por ejemplo, la actualización de las estaciones de trabajo para pronosticadores y la plena compatibilidad de las herramientas de visualización con las CDT. La incapacidad de ejecutar el SIO en la Región supondrá un ahondamiento de la brecha tecnológica entre los Miembros y, a medida que el SIO evolucione y se abandonen los procesos del antiguo Sistema Mundial de Telecomunicación (SMT), quienes no hayan aplicado esas nuevas funciones dispondrán de un acceso cada vez menor a datos para los que el tiempo y las operaciones son decisivos, que son necesarios para la prestación de los servicios fundamentales de los Servicios Meteorológicos e Hidrológicos Nacionales (SMHN). 6. En el adjunto 1 se resume la encuesta de 2016 realizada entre los coordinadores nacionales del SIO y se analizan sus pormenores con mayor nivel de detalle. Adjunto: 1

99 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(2), p. 3 Adjunto 1: Encuesta realizada entre los coordinadores nacionales del Sistema de Información de la Organización Meteorológica Mundial (octubre de 2016) Para la encuesta realizada entre los coordinadores nacionales del Sistema de Información de la Organización Meteorológica Mundial (OMM) (SIO) se han recibido 88 respuestas, de las cuales 9 proceden de la Asociación Regional IV. La encuesta actual está disponible en la siguiente dirección electrónica: Figura 1. Conocimiento del SIO a nivel nacional A pesar de que solo la mitad de los coordinadores nacionales del SIO cumplimentaron la encuesta, los resultados indican que, si bien a nivel mundial la distribución del grado de conocimiento del SIO es normal, la Asociación Regional IV se encuentra a la zaga en el camino que debe recorrerse para alcanzar un conocimiento adecuado o perfeccionado de ese Sistema. Lograr que los coordinadores de todos los Miembros cumplimenten la encuesta y que todos los países obtengan una puntuación mínima de 3 son aspectos a los que debería concederse una atención especial en el período Figura 2. Estado de ejecución del SIO El Decimoquinto Congreso Meteorológico Mundial estableció la celebración del Decimoséptimo Congreso Meteorológico Mundial en 2015 como plazo para completar la ejecución del SIO a nivel nacional. Asimismo, en la Resolución 3 (AR IV-16) se fijó como objetivo que todos los Miembros deberían adquirir por lo menos las funciones básicas del SIO antes de la celebración del Decimoséptimo Congreso Meteorológico Mundial, y la plena ejecución de ese Sistema antes de la celebración de la decimoséptima reunión de la Asociación Regional IV. De la encuesta se desprende que todavía existe una demora significativa en la ejecución del SIO a nivel nacional. Una de las prioridades debería consistir en la prestación de ayuda a

100 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(2), p. 4 aquellos Miembros que no hayan iniciado la ejecución del SIO o solo se encuentren en la fase de planificación a fin de que dispongan, como mínimo, de algunas de las nuevas funciones, al aprovechar la infraestructura y los servicios de su Centro Mundial del Sistema de Información (CMSI) principal. Debería alentarse al CMSI de Washington, así como a otros centros que bridan apoyo a países o Estados de la Asociación Regional IV, a que asuman el liderazgo de los centros que se encuentren en su esfera de competencia, en especial aquellos para los que son el CMSI principal, y les ayuden en la ejecución del SIO facilitándoles su infraestructura y servicios. Un factor determinante para la ejecución y la utilización del SIO es la capacidad para crear y administrar sus metadatos de localización (véase la competencia 4 del SIO, Administrar la localización de datos, descrita en el párrafo 1.8 del Manual del Sistema de información de la OMM (OMM-Nº 1060) y el apéndice E (disponible en la dirección electrónica En la figura 3 se muestra la distribución de las respuestas a la encuesta de 2016 según la Región. Solo 9 de los 20 Estados Miembros de la Asociación Regional IV cumplimentaron la encuesta. Los coordinadores nacionales del SIO deberían ser conscientes de la importancia que supone completar esta encuesta, puesto que la información recabada será un factor trascendental a la hora de establecer prioridades en cuanto a la prestación de apoyo para la ejecución del SIO. Los datos obtenidos también se utilizan para determinar la situación de las Redes regionales de telecomunicaciones meteorológicas y los métodos que los Miembros emplean para acceder a la información. Asimismo, también permite tomar nota de los progresos realizados en la adopción de las claves determinadas por tablas (CDT), así como de la dependencia residual de las claves alfanuméricas tradicionales (CAT) por parte de los Miembros. La Secretaría trabajará para perfeccionar la encuesta e implantar un sistema más fácil de utilizar, como por ejemplo las encuestas Survey Monkey. Figura 3. Distribución de respuestas según la Región Comunicaciones en uso en la Asociación Regional IV En la figura 4 se puede ver que, a escala mundial, el Sistema Mundial de Telecomunicación (SMT) e Internet son las vías de comunicación que gozan de mayor popularidad, aunque las plataformas de recopilación de datos satelitales también reciben una buena acogida. A nivel mundial, se recurre menos a la transmisión directa por satélite, mientras que la Asociación Regional IV y la Asociación Regional V son los principales usuarios de la Red de información meteorológica para los encargados de las medidas de emergencia (EMWIN) y GEONETCAST. Conviene señalar, asimismo, que los Estados Unidos de América, suministradores de la principal infraestructura del SMT de la Región, han previsto la migración a Internet de todas las conexiones del SMT, por lo que, tal y como sucede con la Asociación Regional III, los Miembros tendrán que garantizar niveles suficientes de seguridad y fiabilidad en su conexión a la web. Ello supone disponer como mínimo de dos proveedores independientes de servicios de Internet para todos los Servicios Meteorológicos e Hidrológicos Nacionales (SMHN). También deben tener muy presentes las directrices del SMT en materia de seguridad y uso de las redes

101 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(2), p. 5 privadas virtuales. Véanse las publicaciones Guide to Information Technology Security (OMM- Nº 1115) (Guía sobre seguridad de la tecnología de la información) y Guide to Virtual Private Networks (VPN) via the Internet between GTS centres (OMM-Nº 1116) (Guía sobre redes privadas virtuales por Internet entre centros del SMT) para obtener más información al respecto. Figura 4. Comunicaciones empleadas en la Asociación Regional IV Migración a las claves determinadas por tablas y dependencia de las claves alfanuméricas tradicionales En cuanto a la migración a las CDT, a pesar de que la mitad de los encuestados (4) de la Asociación Regional IV confirmaron su capacidad para el envío de información en CDT, solo dos indicaron que no utilizaban las CAT en sus operaciones. Ello sugiere que no ha concluido la migración a las CDT en la Región y que debe prestarse atención a este asunto con objeto de garantizar que los Miembros dejen de depender de las CAT en sus operaciones. Figura 5 Capacidad de transmisión en CDT Figura 6 Uso de CAT en las operaciones

102 World Meteorological Organization REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) Seventeenth Session San José, Costa Rica, 27 to 31 March 2017 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(3) Submitted by: Secretary-General 23.III.2017 GLOBAL CLIMATE OBSERVING SYSTEM (GCOS) In 2016 GCOS produced The Global System for Climate: Implementation Needs (GCOS 200). Many of the actions identified in the GCOS Implementation Plan will need to be implemented by NMHSs and are important components of WMO Integrated Global Observation System (WIGOS). 1. Introduction There is an urgent need to improve climate observations globally. While the existing system has proved effective in supporting climate science and policy development, including the UNFCCC Paris Agreement, mitigation and adaptation are leading to new and pressing needs. Regional gaps in the observing system remain. Meeting the needs of adaptation requires local observations targeted at specific local risks such as flooding, droughts, higher temperatures, sea level rise and storms. GCOS has been recognized by the UNFCCC since 1997 as the programme that leads the improvement of systematic observations to meet the needs of the Convention. WMO has also recognized the fundamental importance of GCOS to the Global Framework for Climate Services. GCOS has reviewed the current global observing system for climate and identified those actions that are needed to improve climate observations. These are described in the GCOS Implementation Plan. Many of these actions will need to be implemented by NHMSs and Members will need guidance and support in doing this. Many climate observations are already made by NHMSs in areas such as atmospheric physics and composition, hydrology and cryology. This should continue and the role of NHMSs in climate observations strengthened. Cooperation with other observing systems such as those focussed on the oceans or biosphere will also be needed. Climate Observations are a key input into climate services and the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) has recognized the role of GCOS in coordinating, assessing and defining the observational needs. Some Members will need support in implementing these actions, especially in vulnerable areas, and support from other Members and donors is needed GCOS Implementation Plan In 2015 GCOS produced the Status of the Global Observing System for Climate (GCOS-195) which presented an extensive account of how well climate is currently being observed, where progress had been made, and where progress was lacking or deterioration had occurred. While the current observing system has enabled great advances in understanding of the climate system and in the unequivocal identification of change and its human causes, more is still needed, especially at regional scales. With the increasing importance of climate mitigation and

103 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(3), p. 2 adaption new demands are being made on climate observations. Both mitigation and adaption are locally based and improved monitoring and prediction, on local as well as global scales, are needed. Building, inter alia, on the Status of the Global Observing System for Climate report, GCOS has produced The Global System for Climate: Implementation Needs (GCOS-200). This document identifies those actions needed to maintain and improve the global observing system for climate to meet the increasing requirements of science, the UNFCCC, including adaptation and mitigation, and the provision of climate services in general. This new implementation plan assures continuity of the overall observing system for climate and builds on past achievements to ensure the system evolves as long-standing users needs change and new users are established. The new plan responds to the growing need for systematic observations and climate information expanding from science-based assessments to include adaptation and mitigation needs. The plan also acknowledges that these observations are not just relevant to the UNFCCC, but also to a broader community. 3. GCOS Cooperation Mechanism (GCM) Activities in WMO Regions It was noted at Cg-17 that managing the impacts of climate change have and will present major challenges for developing countries. The information needed to design effective policies for mitigating the effects of and adapting to climate change and facilitating sustainable development fundamentally depends on the availability of climate observations. However, such observations must be of a high quality, have a long period of operations and be incorporated in a network of sufficient density to be useful in decision-making. Meeting these challenging requirements will be difficult for many developing countries unless they are provided with sustained assistance. The GCOS Cooperation Mechanism directly contributes to fulfilling the repeated requests of NMHSs to provide financial and technical support to developing countries to improve their climate observing systems, which will also contribute to meeting the countries needs for improved global networks. The GCOS Cooperation Mechanism was established to identify and make the most efficient use of resources available for improving climate observing systems in developing countries, particularly to enable them to collect exchange and utilize data on a continuing basis. In recent years, several countries have provided funds and participated on the GCOS Cooperation Mechanism Donor Board. The GCOS sponsors are constantly seeking additional countries that are willing to participate towards the goal of improved climate observing networks in developing countries. Since 2005, the GCOS Cooperation Mechanism has received and distributed over 3 million USD in support of the GCOS networks, primarily for the atmospheric domain through the GCOS Surface Network (GSN) and the GCOS Upper-Air Network (GUAN). The support provided has been wide-ranging and covers all aspects of the observing system life-cycle. Recent projects of particular relevance have been: (c) The supply of radiosondes and balloons (to Gan, Maldives; Nairobi, Kenya and Yerevan, Armenia), which was made possible through funding from Japan, Switzerland and the UK; The repair and service of the hydrogen generator in support of the upper-air observations at Gan, Maldives and Harare, Zimbabwe, which was made possible through funding from Germany and the UK; Support for a volunteer rainfall network pilot project (CoCoRaHS) in the Bahamas undertaken by the Colorado State University;

104 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(3), p. 3 (d) The provision of a consultant, based in Africa, to focus on improving the data availability from the GSN and GUAN stations in the Region and working on high priority projects. The following statistics are an annual summary of the monthly CLIMAT messages in the GCOS Climate Archive (National Climate Environmental Information, NCEI, US). According to the GCOS requirements a fully compliant GSN/RBCN shall have 12 CLIMAT reports. The values represents the 2016 percentage (October 2015 September 2016) of stations that are compliant and those that are partially or non-compliant. In brackets are the statistics for 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011 respectively. GCOS Surface Network (GSN) Region No. 12 Monthly CLIMAT 6-11 Monthly CLIMAT 1-5 Monthly CLIMAT 0 Monthly CLIMAT RA I % (29, 29, 32, 28, 23) 30% (31, 33, 33, 36, 39) 7% (15, 10, 10, 11, 14) 28% (25, 28, 25, 25, 24) RA II % ( 78, 71, 73, 73, 75) 12% (14, 21, 19, 19, 19) 2% (2, 3, 2, 2, 1) 6% (6, 5, 6, 6, 5) RA III % ( 61, 76, 89, 84, 69) 30% (35, 20, 6, 13, 28) 3% (0, 1, 0, 0, 0) 4% (4, 3, 5, 3, 3) RA IV % (88, 88, 88, 81, 80) 6% (9, 10, 11, 17, 18) 2% (2, 1, 1, 1, 1) 1% (1, 1, 0, 1, 1) RA V % (66, 70, 63, 58, 52) 15% (16, 17, 16, 23, 34) 3% (4, 1, 7, 7, 1) 14% (14, 13, 14, 12, 11) RA VI % (77, 80, 82, 78, 81) 7% (14, 9, 12, 17, 15) 2% (3, 5, 2, 1, 0) 7% (6, 6, 4, 4, 4) ANTON 42 81% (77, 79, 60, 45, 50) 13% (19, 19, 36, 43, 33) 4% (2, 2, 2, 5, 12) 2% (2, 0, 2, 7, 5) Regional Basic Climatological Network (RBCN, includes the GSN above) Region No. 12 Monthly CLIMAT 6-11 Monthly CLIMAT 1-5 Monthly CLIMAT 0 Monthly CLIMAT RA I % (16, 17, 19, 13, 12) 19% (22, 20, 20, 23, 22) 8% (11, 8, 7, 12, 13) 52% (51, 55, 54, 52, 53) RA II % (73, 71, 73, 67, 57) 12% (17, 18, 15, 22, 30) 1% (2, 4, 4, 1, 2) 7% (8, 7, 8, 10, 11) RA III % (63, 73, 81, 73, 65) 22% (25, 14, 6, 15, 23) 1% (0, 1, 1, 1, 0) 12% (12, 12, 12, 11, 12) RA IV % (78, 78, 72, 67, 66) 11% (10, 11, 18, 18, 18) 3% (3, 3, 2, 2, 3) 9% (9, 8, 8, 13, 13) RA V % (63, 64, 59, 56, 50) 16% (18, 21, 17, 24, 34) 3% (4, 1, 9, 6, 3) 17% (15, 14, 15, 14, 13) RA VI % (79, 81, 77, 77, 74) 5% (12, 8, 13, 15, 18) 1% (1, 3, 3, 1, 1) 9% (7, 7, 7, 7, 7) RA I is the poorest performing Region, with only 35% of stations meeting the minimum requirement, and 28% not providing any CLIMAT messages. This continues to reinforce the need for GCOS to focus its support in this Region. For the RBCN network, which includes the GSN, the situation is even worse in RA I with only 21% of stations meeting the minimum requirement. All other Regions show an increase in the percentage of stations with zero reports, suggesting that not all countries are sending CLIMAT messages for their RBCN stations, in addition to the GSN stations. RA IV is one of the best performing Regions for both the GSN and RBCN, with less than 10% of the stations not providing any CLIMAT messages. The following table is the 2016 summary for the GCOS Upper-Air Network (GUAN) monitoring against the GCOS minimum requirements (25 daily soundings to 30hPa per month) for each Region, according to the monthly statistics provided by NCEP. In brackets are the same statistics for 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and For 2012 and 2011 these are based on availability according to NCEI.

105 RA IV-17/INF. 4.3(3), p. 4 Region Number of GUAN stations % meeting minimum GCOS requirements in 2016 (% for 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011) RA I 23 39% (35%, 39%, 46%, 48%, 57%) RA II 32 87% (87%, 87%, 87%, 87%, 87%) RA III 18 61% (67%, 72%, 67%, 89%, 78%) RA IV 24 87% (79%, 83%, 75%, 83%, 87%) RA V 38 84% (79%, 76%, 74%, 84%, 87%) RA VI 24 87% (87%, 87%, 83%, 92%, 87%) Antarctica 12 58% (67%, 58%, 58%, 83%, 83%) Seven (7) of the GUAN stations (4%) were Silent (zero reported TEMP observations) during 2016, which was the same as 2015 but a deterioration from 2014 (3 stations). In 2013 there were three (3) Silent stations, four (4) in 2012 and five (5) in RA IV is one of the best performing Regions for the GUAN, with the below requirement stations being; (Manzanilla, Mexico) and (Juan Santamaria, Costa Rica), both of which were below the required number of soundings reaching 30hPa for much of the period. 4. GCOS Reference Upper-Air Network (GRUAN) GRUAN is a global network site that, to the extent possible, builds on existing observational networks and capabilities. To date there are 25 sites of which 8 have undergone a rigorous certification procedure out of a target of stations globally. The Lead Centre for the GRUAN has been established at the Lindenberg facility of the German Meteorological Center (DWD) and oversees day-to-day operations. GRUAN measurements are reference quality: long-term, accurate climate data records from the surface, to the stratosphere. These allow a reliable determination of upper-air climate trends, constrain data from more spatially comprehensive observing systems (including satellites and current radiosonde networks), and fully characterize the properties of the atmospheric column. Many of the GRUAN sites operate frost-point hygrometers capable of measuring water vapour through the lower stratosphere. GRUAN is not expected to operate in isolation and operating protocols developed within GRUAN are expected to be disseminated to GUAN sites and to the wider global radiosonde network with overall improved data quality as a result. In RA IV there are active GRUAN sites at Barrow, Beltsville, Boulder and Lamont, all located in the USA. 5. Tropical Pacific Observing System (TPOS) 2020 project The TPOS 2020 project is a finite lifetime development activity which will deliver important outcomes for the Global Climate Observing System. The first of three reports from the project has been published following community review, outlines recommendations and actions for the backbone observing system, and proposed pilot projects and process studies required to refine future observing system design, to improve forecast model parameterizations, etc. TPOS 2020 has now been approved as a WIGOS Pre-Operational Regional Pilot, and the transition and implementation will be coordinated through a Cross Cutting Task Team of JCOMM, which is being established following the 13 th session of the JCOMM Management Committee (January 2017). Further information is available from

106 World Meteorological Organization REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) Seventeenth Session San José, Costa Rica, 27 to 31 March 2017 RA IV-17/INF. 4.4(3) Submitted by: Secretary-General 13.II.2017 WMO QUALITY MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK Resolution 7 (Cg-17), on furthering the World Meteorological Organization Quality Management Framework (WMO QMF), requested the Executive Council to establish an appropriate mechanism of promoting and guiding the further development and implementation of QMF. A comprehensive analytical report on the current status of WMO QMF was presented to the joint meeting of presidents of technical commissions and presidents of regional associations (PRA/PTC 2016) in January The meeting agreed on a set of five actions recommended to the Executive Council Working Group on Strategic and Operational Planning (EC WG-SOP). EC-68 in June 2016, having considered the recommendations of the EC WG-SOP agreed on the proposed Organization-wide approach to QMF and related roles of the Members, technical commissions, regional associations and Secretariat as described in the annex to Decision 76 (EC-68) which is reproduced below. AGREED ACTIONS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPING WMO QUALITY MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK 1. WMO QMF Follow up of Resolution 7 (Cg-17) and EC-67 recommendations 1.1 Following recommendations by PRA/PTC 2016 and EC WG/SOP-I meetings, the following actions have been agreed: (c) (d) (e) Review and update the Quality Policy Statement to reflect the evolving requirements and nature of WMO QMF; Align and streamline the quality management activities of different programmes, technical commissions and expert bodies to ensure their consistency as part of the overarching Organization-wide QM policy. To facilitate this process, it is proposed to develop and publish a new high-level document WMO Quality Management Framework ; Review and enhance relevant regulatory and guidance material. This includes development of new provisions/requirements for the implementation of Quality Management Systems (QMS) for certain service areas, and updates of the existing WMO QMS guidance material to reflect the changes in the new ISO 9001:2015; Continue monitoring the implementation of QMS requirements for aviation and related assistance to Members; Promote further the general recommendations for implementation of QMS by NMHSs stipulated in the WMO Strategy for Service Delivery, and highlight the benefits for NMHSs. This implies continuation of the mechanisms of twinning and mentoring arrangements between Members.

107 RA IV-17/INF. 4.4(3), p Working arrangements (recommended by EC WG/SOP-I) Actions and : the update of WMO policy objectives (reference: WMO Quality Policy Statement (2007)) and the development of an overarching concise document on WMO QMF will be overseen by EC. The two deliverables should be submitted for review by EC - 69 in A mechanism of utilizing the accumulated expertize by Members in quality management primarily through online collaboration should include, inter alia, forming a Community of Practice (CoP) as an efficient way to engage experts in such collaborative work. For finalizing the deliverables, a one-week writeshop may need to be organized at the Secretariat. QM focal points of the technical commissions should be engaged in the preparation of the draft deliverables and a mature draft should be presented to PTC-2017 for coordination Action (c) on the update of the existing regulatory and guidance material (WMO-No. 49, Technical Regulations Vol. IV; WMO-No and WMO-No. 1100) in order to align these documents with the new ISO 9001:2015, should be dealt with as a routine management and amendment of WMO publications. This would involve consultancy arrangements with appropriate experts from Members Actions (d) and (e) are considered of operational nature and the working mechanisms being already utilized, for example twinning, mentoring and training (supported through existing or future development projects), should continue to be supported by Members and coordinated by the regional associations, as part of the implementation of the WMO Service Delivery Strategy The five actions will need support from the Secretariat. The Secretary-General has been requested to establish the most appropriate and efficient mechanism taking into consideration the cross-cutting and Organization-wide nature of the QM tasks. 1.3 Organization-wide approach to quality management This approach should engage all levels of the Organization with coordinated relevant roles, as follows: (c) (d) Members to be encouraged and enabled through capacity development to implement QMS as part of their development plans linked to the WMO Strategic Plan and other relevant strategies, such as the WMO Strategy on Service Delivery and the WMO Capacity Development Strategy; Regional Associations to coordinate and facilitate the actions of their Members towards QMS implementation, for example establishment of twinning and mentoring arrangements; to encourage regional centres such as Regional Instrument Centres (RICs), Regional Training Centres (RTCs), Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres (RSMCs) and Regional Climate Centres (RCCs) to adopt relevant QMS approaches; to monitor the QMS implementation and address identified deficiencies thereof; Technical Commissions to further coordinate and develop QM elements in their respective areas, including regulatory provisions, as appropriate; Secretary-General to enable, with appropriate resources and assigned responsibilities, the overall coordination of the implementation of the QMF by the Secretariat; to promote, in the work of the Secretariat, broader implementation of QMS elements and principles.

108 World Meteorological Organization REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) Seventeenth Session San José, Costa Rica, 27 to 31 March 2017 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1) Submitted by: Secretary-General 1.III.2017 DATA-PROCESSING, MODELLING AND FORECASTING FUTURE SEAMLESS DATA PROCESSING AND FORECASTING SYSTEMS: THE GDPFS IMPERATIVE 1. The proposed Vision for the Future GDPFS is: (c) The GDPFS will be an effective and adaptable monitoring and prediction system enabling Members and partners to make better-informed decisions; The GDPFS will facilitate the provision of impact-based forecasts and risk-based warnings through partnership and collaboration; The GDPFS will do so through the sharing of weather, water, climate and related environmental data, products and services in a cost-effective, timely and agile way, with the effect of benefitting all WMO Members, while also reducing the gaps between developed and developing Members. The GDPFS will become increasingly integrated and seamless - following the discussion at the WWOSC (Montreal 2014) seamless spans over several dimensions including: (c) Space and time (nowcasting, through weather and ocean forecasts for days and weeks ahead to long-range forecasts on seasonal and up to multi-annual scales); Disciplines and socioeconomic applications (hydrology and oceanography: flood, inundation, and water management; ocean forecasting, marine and coastal: wave and storm surge, sea ice; air quality and sand and dust storm; natural resources, energy, tourism, transport, etc.); Prediction of non-weather-related elements, including the assessment of likelihood and probabilities of impacts and risks associated with hazards taking into account vulnerability and exposure information to support risk-based decision-making. Finally, GDPFS will facilitate the transition of capability from research to operations and minimizes the gaps between prediction skills and user s needs. One may imagine the GDPFS in 2031, 16 years later, with the following characteristics: The overall accuracy of state-of-the-art global prediction models have improved enough to add 1.5 days of overall predictability, if the historical rate of progress of one day per decade is sustained: The goal set by Jule Charney and others when they launched GARP in the 1970s was achieved. Global models have resolutions below 5km, and mesoscale-to-submesoscale models significantly below 1km, down to a few tens of meters in urban and coastal areas, for example; The sub-seasonal time scales are achieved, ensembles have routinely hundreds of members, shared between many global centers, and forecast products provide accurate and detailed information on such things as closed water budgets over most watersheds, wind, temperature and air quality information, including global

109 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 2 greenhouse gases emissions information, from urban street canyons and outwards to the surrounding country side, regions and countries, finely detailed agrometeorological information from hourly cycles to seasonal, precise storm surges and wind damage estimates for cyclone landfall, sea state, including rogue waves, and dangerous shore currents, telecommunications and electricity blackouts from solar eruptions from the surface to satellite orbital heights, toxic algal blooms, pest migrations, etc.; (c) (d) Most or even all this information is accessible as a public good product to all WMO Members, and their partners, and most of this information is available either in raw format, or directly as impact information. It is disseminated and presented in accordance with users formats, and using point-to-point or, increasingly, cloud-topoint communication broadband technologies. It is quality controlled, validated and has metadata information associated, and in the case of forecast information, it is verified. Imbedded in the design of the system is a two-way feedback real-time communication capacity between the provider and the receiver of the data; The system has evolved through partnership agreements that allow it to absorb or carry information produced either by the private sector, academic institutions or by other closely related organizations to the traditional NMHSs. 2. Drivers System and Service Requirements for Members The requirements associated with this exercise can be framed as follows: (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) The need to support and enable enhanced Service Delivery by Members NMHS/Partners to their countries and customers; The need for NMHSs/partners/users to access GDPFS data, products and algorithms through a common user interface platform with information on quality and performance; The need to devise a system that would be flexible and easily adaptable; The need to expand collaborations with many other partners; The need for a clear focus on high impact products; The need for effective feedback mechanisms from users for quality management purposes; The need to involve users in product development; The need to enable NMHS s and other institutions with different levels of capabilities to share, discover and leverage each other s data resources; The urgent need to transit the GDPFS towards a system capable of producing impactbased forecasting and risk based-warning (IBF & RBW); The need to facilitate technological advances and science pull-through to operations; The need to enhance global efficiency by wider exploitation of collective capabilities; The need to increase the capacity development and training of the users in order to make optimal use of the products of the seamless prediction system; The need to address policy issues associated with the seamless GDPFS. 3. Scope To achieve its objectives GDPFS will: Build upon the existing network of GDPFS systems, services and centres to span the wider, seamless operational activities of WMO;

110 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 3 (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) Improve access to and utilization of seamless monitoring and prediction systems, products and data; Improve WMO s ability to support Impact Based Forecasts and Risk-Based Warnings through enhanced collaboration through partnerships; Enhance integration between seamless monitoring and prediction capabilities of the TCs; Provide a mechanism to meet new predictive requirements of its Members; Make a major and unique contribution to United Nations agencies that are focused on protection of life, property and the environment; Improve the quality, interoperability, diversity and relevance of GDPFS information, data and products; Transit towards a new optimized global, regional and national production infrastructure; Provide multi-disciplinary training and capacity building; Consider policy and open data considerations; Consider the role of the private sector and academia; Develop methodologies for assigning quality and performance assessment. Figure 1: WMO Operational System (from WMO Strategic Plan ) GDPFS, the Heart of the System. 4. Benefits The benefits of the future GDPFS can be articulated along three axes: contribution to the UN and WMO agendas, the quality, diversity and relevance of GDPFS information and furthering existing and developing new partnerships. Improved seamless monitoring and prediction capabilities in a more cost effective manner to enable improved service delivery because:

111 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 4 (c) (d) GDPFS will enable the wider exploitation and service delivery of science through seamless prediction capabilities, including ensembles, among WMO Members and enhance collaboration with its partner organizations for improved decision-making; This will allow access to an expanded set of predictive data and products resulting in wider protection of life and property in a cost-effective manner; GDPFS will better enable NMHSs to meet expanding national mandates and achieve higher national visibility. In doing so, WMO Members will be able to better respond to natural hazards, improve environmental monitoring, and adapt to climate change and man-made environmental impacts. In this regard, GDPFS will greatly enhance operational components of WMO Programmes, especially in developing and least developed countries and contribute to UN agendas and international agreements; Integration will lead to efficiencies and cost savings that can be reinvested to focus on impacts and service delivery. Members will be able to better access information from TCs with predictive capabilities, including CBS, JCOMM, CCL and CHy, in a consistent and seamless network of systems, centres and services and an improved pull-through of science from CAS and CCl. It will also better enable users to access and select the most appropriate data sources and algorithms to meet their requirements. Finally, TCs with a strong application focus, such as CAeM, CAgM and CHy, will benefit from better access to quality assured seamless products, services and data. 5. Collaborative contribution to WMO Expected Results The WMO Operating Plan provides details on key outcomes, deliverables and activities to be implemented to achieve results defined in the WMO Strategic Plan, with the resources provided under WMO Results-based Budget. It is organized around eight Expected Results (ERs): (c) (d) (e) (f) Improved service quality and service delivery: Enhanced capabilities of Members to deliver and improve access to high-quality weather, climate, hydrological and related environmental predictions, information, warnings and services in response to users' needs and to enable their use in decision making by relevant societal sectors; Reduced disaster risk: Enhanced capabilities of Members to reduce risks and potential impacts of hazards caused by weather, climate, water and related environmental elements; Improved data-processing, modelling and forecasting: Enhanced capabilities of Members to produce better weather, climate, water and related environmental information, predictions and warnings to support, in particular, reduced disaster risk and climate impact and adaptation strategies; Improved observations and data exchange: Enhanced capabilities of Members to access, develop, implement and use integrated and interoperable Earth- and spacebased observation systems for weather, climate and hydrological observations, as well as related environmental and space weather observations, based on world standards set by WMO; Advance targeted research: Enhanced capabilities of Members to contribute to and draw benefits from the global research capacity for weather, climate, water and related environmental science and technology development; Strengthened capacity development: Enhanced capabilities of Members NMHSs, in particular in developing and least developed countries and small island developing states, to fulfil their mandates;

112 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 5 (g) (h) Strengthened partnerships: New and strengthened partnerships and cooperation activities to improve NMHSs' performance in delivering services and to demonstrate the value of WMO contributions within the United Nations system, relevant regional organizations, international conventions and national strategies; Improved efficiency and effectiveness: Ensured effective functioning of policy-making and constituent bodies and oversight of the Organization. Over time GDPFS has contributed to the top seven ERs. Over the past decade, GDPFS has contributed to improving services to NMHS through the cascading forecasting process of the SWFDP and the move to seamless GDPFS will expand the breadth of services to a number of socio-economic sectors, through application of cascading process to variety of socio-economic sectors such as hydrology, transports, and energy for efficient and timely decision making. Seamless GDPFS will take advantage of and facilitate the synergy between a number of existing and developing activities in other disciplines such as: JCOMM Lead Centre for Wave Forecast Verification (LC-WFV). The JCOMM Expert Team on Waves and Coastal Hazards (ETWCH) established a Lead Centre for Wave Forecast Verification (LC-WFV) at ECMWF. The project involves 17 institutions around the world; Coastal Inundation Forecasting Demonstration Project (CIFDP). The CIFDP aims to assist countries with issues of coastal inundation from oceanographic and/or hydrological phenomena, resulting from severe hydro-meteorological events, to operate and maintain a reliable forecasting system that helps the national decisionmaking for coastal management. The main focus of the CIFDP will be to facilitate the development of efficient forecasting and warning systems for coastal inundation based on robust science and observations. CHy FFGS Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS) project with global coverage has been developed by the WMO Commission for Hydrology (CHy) jointly with the WMO Commission for Basic Systems (CBS) and in collaboration with the US National Weather Service, the US Hydrologic Research Center (HRC) and USAID/OFDA. The collaboration between the Severe Weather Forecast Demonstration Project and the FFGS in the region of South Africa has demonstrated benefits of close cooperation among meteorological and hydrological forecasting. CAgM CAgM expects a high-resolution information production (downscaling of climate/observation/ forecast and projection data) for agriculture and food security, which is one of the early warning targets for climate extremes. To estimate a prospect of crop yield, agricultural communities have requested the GDPFS to provide high-resolution seamless daily information of the necessary variables to be used in agrometeorological models. It also needs some ICT sharable platform under cloud computing environment for developing countries to support enhanced national AgMet services. CCl The definition, implementation and operationalization of the GPCs galaxy (individual GPCs and associated Lead Centres on MME and SVS on the seasonal time scales) is a very successful example of benefits gained for the entire climate community linked to CBS/CCl joint efforts, through the GDPFS. The establishment of mandatory products made available via individual

113 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 6 GPCs web sites and LCs web sites under WMO umbrella improved significantly the access to seasonal forecasts and their possibility of post processing (especially downscaling and tailoring) at the RCCs and RCOFs levels and then consequently at the national levels. Last but not least one of additional products from the GPCs galaxy is the GSCU (Global Seasonal Climate Update), which is recognised to be a key element in support to their global, regional and national users, especially for preparation of relevant seasonal outlooks. CAeM The ICAO Global Air Navigation Plan ( ), based on the implementation of the phased Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBU) approach, will require the increasing integration of high-resolution meteorological data into 4-D Air Traffic Management (ATM) decision support systems to support and enable more efficient trajectory-based (gate-to-gate) operations. This transition from the traditional product-based 'briefing and advising' approach, to one based on the application of best data by ATM decision support systems, will inevitably result in significant changes to the current models of aviation meteorological service delivery with consequent impacts on and challenges for MET Services within the overarching framework of the WMO GDPFS. There is a significant opportunity to further enhance the relevance of the GDPFS given that high quality meteorological science, modeling, observations and interoperable data will be key enablers in ensuring the successful implementation of the ICAO GANP. ECMWF ECMWF has been and continues to advance weather science by incorporating an increased level of complexity of physical and chemical processes and the interaction between atmosphere, ocean, sea-ice and land into the model. As a contributor to the GDPFS, ECMWF expects that by 2025 it will provide ensemble predictions of high impact weather up to two weeks ahead. It will also provide a seamless approach, aiming towards predictions of largescale patterns and regime transitions up to four weeks ahead and global-scale anomalies up to a year ahead. CAS CAS was the originator 1 of the decisions by EC LXI in May 2009 to implement: (c) A unified approach to multi-disciplinary weather, climate, water and environmental prediction research and to a step up in high-performance computing investments for coordinating and accelerating weather, climate, coupled chemical and hydrology model development, validation and use; Closer linkages between research, operations and users through Forecast Demonstration Projects (FDPs) that accelerate technology transfer; The review and rationalization of the roles and mandates of the WMO Commissions, and the improvement of their effectiveness in capturing optimal science input through WMO decision-making and thereby, enhancing WMO Member capabilities in research, observations, prediction and services. 1 EC-RTT report to EC LXI in May 2009, titled: Challenges facing Prediction Research: A report of the EC Task Team (EC-RTT) on Research Aspects of an Enhanced Climate, Weather, Water and Environmental Prediction Framework

114 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 7 CAS has also delivered the Sand and Dust Storm operational service (an example of multidisciplinary product), as well as being behind a number of significant improvements in NWP technologies. Looking forward, CAS is now ready to move up to IG3IS, HIW, S2S, GURME, Air Quality and GURME production of new products, which will have potentially large impacts on climate change mitigation policies or life shortening and illness resulting from bad air.

115 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 8 B) DRAFT WHITE PAPER SEAMLESS DPFS 1. Preamble 1.1 The successes of the past WMO and its Members have, since their creation, successfully met a number of major technology jumps: for example, the switch from data plotting and map drawing by hand, and more or less subjective synoptic analyses to a NWP-based system using supercomputers and automation technologies, then later on to global modeling, highly efficient and accurate numerical methods and sophisticated data analysis systems, then further on to global operational usage in data assimilation of space-based observing systems in real time, then on to ensemble methods that allowed a probabilistic estimate of the accuracy of the forecast and finally, recently, to the so-called seamless and integrated modeling approach which expands by orders of magnitude the potential applications of weather and climate modeling systems. It is thus with a high level of confidence that we should approach the next technology transitions: correctly managed, our responses will, as in the past, result in further improvements of the excellence, relevance and impacts of our products, and thus contribute, overall, to further improvements in the security and socioeconomic progress of all our members, thus reducing further the gaps that separate some of us today. 1.2 Challenges for the future The World Meteorological Congress, at its seventeenth session (Cg-17), noted the rapidly evolving transformations in the practice of operational numerical weather prediction, particularly the integrated or seamless modeling approach, and recognized: (c) (d) That all WMO constituent bodies and numerous subsidiary expert level groups provide a complex framework for coordination and collaboration in which a large number of decision-makers and experts from virtually all Members and partner organizations address matters related to the Data-processing and Forecasting System (DPFS); That emerging requirements from the services-oriented programmes, such as aeronautical, marine, agriculture, health, and public weather services, as well as requirements from a wide range of hydrometeorological-related emergencies, or from implementing disaster mitigation strategies, require an enhanced integrated, holistic and seamless DPFS in order to be relevant to users decision-making; That an enhanced integrated, holistic and seamless Data-processing and Forecasting System could have the potential to lead to important benefits for Members and their National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) and the Organization as a whole; That the integration of the technical support to meet the on-going and emerging requirements from different sectors of society in a single system (in a multidimensional/multi-disciplinary approach) would be more cost-effective and relevant to decision-makers and users. Cg-17 therefore decided, through Resolution 11 (Cg-17), to initiate a process for the gradual establishment of a future enhanced integrated and seamless WMO DPFS, in light of the conclusions of the first World Weather Open Science Conference (WWOSC-2014, Montreal, Canada, August 2014), and requested the Executive Council to formulate Terms of Reference for this process, and a description of the set of products the system should produce, for consideration by the eighteenth session of the World Meteorological Congress (Cg-18) in This paper responds to this request by describing: the requirements; the reason why

116 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 9 we are doing this; (c) the vision and scope for the future Global Data-processing and Forecasting System (GDPFS); (d) linkages with observations and data exchange, applications and services, research, regional bodies, and capacity development; (e) the benefits; (f) opportunities, success factors and challenges; and (g) the mechanism for implementation and timelines. 2. Considerations 2.1 System and service requirements by WMO technical Programmes The requirements associated with this exercise can be framed as follows: (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) The need for a clear vision for the future of the GDPFS that would contribute significantly to the long term positioning of WMO as a world leader in facilitating the provision of both data and forecast products encompassing not only traditional weather related products but also, increasingly, a widening spectrum of environmentally-related information, in the spirit of the integrated and seamless approach. The need to devise a system that would be flexible and easily adaptable to the many technical and expanding service needs and requirements emerging in the user and producer communities, without necessitating a complete rebuild of the system now, or in the future (for example, standardization on model /system output formats or transformation scripts to achieve transformation of standardized formats); The need to expand collaborations with many other partners, not necessarily in the traditional family of NMHSs, and adjust the GDPFS to facilitate this openness; e.g. Earth system modelling, including atmosphere, oceans, land, cryosphere, chemistry interactions, etc.; The need for a clear focus on high impact products, whilst respecting the professionalism of some users, particularly in the marine, hydrological and agrometeorological sectors, who are well trained and aware of the impact which certain environmental conditions create and, as well, the need to have all Members of WMO benefit from state-of-the-art data and products specific to their particular needs; The need for a system where two-way feedback between producers and users is not only facilitated but also recognized as a key to success. This could be achieved through the creation of a User Interface Platform (UIP); The need to enable NMHS s and other institutions to share and leverage each other s data resources and to identify other sources of data e.g. Crowd Sourcing, Future mobile phone systems as meteorological observation platforms, road/rail/marine vehicles as data sources through similar systems as AMDAR on aircrafts, Nanotechnology, etc.; The need to clearly separate policy issues (EC and Cg domains of governance) from internal operational and management issues; The urgent need to transit GDPFS towards a system capable of producing impactbased forecasting and risk-based warning (IBF & RBW). The future GDPFS system will need to be designed to help deliver, in the most satisfactory and efficient way, the new types of services required by the users with the overarching objective to contribute to disaster risk reduction. This will necessitate a close interaction between the providers and the users of the services, and the requirement for a mechanism which strongly encourages and facilitates feedback between these two parties, such as a User Information

117 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 10 Platform (UIP), something which is seen as lacking for now and that could be enabled by social media. Another very important aspect to consider is the move towards impact-based forecasts and risk-based warnings, for example not merely providing a future state of the environment to the users, but actually providing the potential impact of this future state: and for many, if not the majority of the impacts, they will be at the State level, and will depend on socio-economic type information (preparedness, local transportation, building and power infrastructure status and disaster management rules, etc.), as on the quantitative physically-based information itself. One example that was provided is that unless one has access to hydrological reservoir management rules and practices, a global attempt to provide an operational flood forecasting service runs the risk of being seriously flawed. In defining a future state and of the GDPFS (in connection with WIGOS, WIS) one will need to make decisions on what priorities the core services provided to WMO Members will be addressing, and what position WMO, and its services-oriented Programmes and Commissions wish to retain for themselves and their partners. The service aspects requirement is one of the fundamental dimensions and reason for the existence of the GDPFS. This will define in a significant way the structure of the GDPFS itself. We will consider six of these Services areas in particular, but will also discuss briefly Earth System Environmental and Socio-Economic Services Observations and data exchange The GDPFS, WIGOS and WIS constitute the World Weather Watch (WWW) components and, as such, evolution of GDPFS is closely linked to WIGOS and WIS. If indeed one wishes to proceed with a global implementation of the seamless and integrated forecasting system, it is necessary that access to enhanced observation data through WIGOS and WIS is coordinated with non-traditional partners. Looking, for example, at the data needs for hydrological, agro-meteorological and marine forecasts, this will represent a formidable challenge, for a number of reasons. An important characteristic of these three particular applications is the need for both global, regional and very fine spatial scale data requirements for informed decision-making, and this at all time scales. Another one is the fact that these three sectors have developed their own data related processes or procedures, often quite dissimilar to traditional weather or even climate related usage. They are also very often outside the traditional world of NMHS organizationally, and have developed their own dissemination and decision processes, as well as different partner and user bases. The rapid development of data related technology (big data, crowd-sourcing, cloud computing, etc.), which has already led to the creation by the private sector of fine scale user-tailored agrometeorological services in Africa, totally outside of the WMO Programme structures. We can, therefore, expect many more similar initiatives for different sectors of environmental predictions Public Weather Services (PWS): While the increased resolution of the Limited Area Models (LAMs) has helped to provide good information for PWS, convective weather activities remain a challenge to predict accurately. Data suites derived from radar-based nowcasting systems, merged into model output at time ranges of 2-4hrs, can address this challenge, but the technology is still out of reach for many NMHSs, even in the developed world; Ensemble Prediction Systems (EPS) consume a very significant percentage of the resources of the major centers running global models, but we are not exploiting this

118 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 11 rich information to its full extent. Many users simply do not have decision-making systems that are sophisticated enough to incorporate this probability-based information; (c) (d) (e) User education is needed here, and also more social science research into how users make decisions, and to what extent they can absorb this complexity of information or sharing. In other words, training is a major gap. Primarily the training of front-line forecasters in, for example, the use of RSMC products and guidance, in the proper interpretation of EPS data and the like. If the NMHSs cannot properly organize for the adequate training of their own staff, what hope is there in providing training for users? New requirements: The need to incorporate weather information with data from other sources (vulnerability and exposure data, crowd-sourced observations of weather itself or its impacts etc.) means that there is a need to develop visualization platforms that allows all of this diverse data to be coherently presented and examined by forecasters (or consulting meteorologists, which is what forecasters may become). These platforms will probably be GIS-based, so the meteorological world needs to get to grips with how best to incorporate this technology Climate services, including the support to GFCS (c) (d) (e) (f) Specialized centres: Their designation and monitoring processes should be improved and should evolve. It is important to have some clear criteria and metrics to assess the compliance of the labeled centres and their activities. It is also important to elaborate standards for operations, especially at the regional level (e.g., RCCs and RCOFs), including the need to label products and services (with WIS compliance). New functionalities should also be introduced (e.g., help desk function, user support, etc.). Last but not least, global monitoring centres do not presently exist, whereas this is the case for data and forecast products; Climate services perspective: There is a clear need to add this dimension within the GDPFS, especially with respect to CSIS and its interface with the User Interface Platform (UIP). In this respect, the involvement of organizations or entities which are not operational (in the NMHS sense) but are nevertheless providing information routinely, should be addressed. Adaptations will be necessary for tailored information for decision making (especially impact forecasts), and, of course, these should be evaluated and monitored; Climate service Toolkit: The development of such tools should be conducted in close collaboration with CBS and have strong linkages with the GDPFS (functionalities, standards, etc.), noting that the necessary downscaling/upscaling functions should be part of the process; Feedback processes: Some feedback processes are missing or are not efficient, particularly with people outside our traditional climate community, and for the RCCs and GPCs; Verification: It should be adapted to the service provision, especially beyond the products themselves, focusing on the impact of the use of the information (e.g., demonstrated value of the services provided); Climate change information and the new GDPFS: It should be integrated in the functionalities described in the GDPFS. Likewise, we should extend the described functionalities across all the time scales (making sure we preserve and ensure the consistency within the seamless provision of information);

119 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 12 (g) Additional points: Using a system approach will allow a full picture to emerge, and the possibility of assigning the necessary priorities and importance for each component of the system. There will be a need to create and monitor relevant labels for the tools used, and the provision of the information (e.g., clear identification of authoritative voices on internet, labels for candidates to the CST, etc.) Hydrological services The Commission for Hydrology (CHy) shapes the water-related activities of WMO and addresses issues related to the basic hydrological observation network, water resources assessment, flood forecasting and management, adaptability to climate variability and change and promotes exchange of technology and capacity building. In particular the outcomes of its deliberations provide guidance to WMO Member countries and WMO Secretariat for the implementation of the Hydrology and Water Resources Programme of WMO: (c) (d) (e) Its major activities are: (1) Quality Management Framework; (2) data operations and management; (3) water resources assessment; (4) hydrological forecasting and prediction; and (5) water, climate and risk management; The responsibilities of NHSs are: (1) observation of surface waters (stages and discharges); (2) data quality control and primary processing; (3) hydrological balance and water resources management; (4) hydrological forecasting; and (5) water quality, ground water monitoring and assessments, etc.; Concerning runoff or flood generation processes, one needs to consider initial conditions (soil moisture, groundwater, snow and reservoirs are very important), the high spatial variability, and the temporal and spatial development of floods (basinscale determines a forecast lead time); The forecast ranges in hydrology extend from hours to years. Whilst flood forecasting is a national responsibility, depending on the basin-scale, it often requires international and regional cooperation (for example, in Europe, EFAS), and also GloFAS (GFP), and G-WADI (UNESCO-IHP); NHSs are users of meteorological and climatological services (data, forecasts) usually not within one NMHS. Also, levels and ways of cooperation between NMSs and NHSs differ significantly among countries and regions. The needs of CHy and NHSs are: (1) observations and short-term forecasts (basic); (2) service delivery as a tailored product for hydrological application (no GRIB); (3) bias corrected and downscaled to the resolution of the hydrological model; and (4) verification, preferably from an authoritative source. It is unclear at this time what form the contributions of CHy and NHSs should or would be: developed hydrological services typically provide observations in near real time, flash flood guidance, short to medium-range flood forecasting, and seasonal runoff prediction, with an aim to provide these in a seamless way to users Marine meteorological and oceanographic services The long-term objectives of WMO Marine Meteorology and Oceanography Programme include, as a priority, enhancing the provision of marine meteorological, oceanographic and climate services. The coordination of implementation and development is made through JCOMM, primarily in generation and analysis of observations and knowledge of the marine atmosphere and ocean in support of numerous applications, including:

120 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 13 (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) Enhanced safety of life and property at sea and coastline through improved forecasts of natural and anthropogenic hazards, such as storm surge, sea level rise, harmful algal bloom, tsunami, ocean acidification, and oil spill trajectory; Contribute to the prevention and control of marine pollution, sustainable development of the marine environment, coastal area management and recreational activities, and in support of the safety of coastal habitation and activities; Contribute to development of ocean-based economic and industrial activities; Contribute to coordination and enhancement of the provision of data, information, products and services required to support atmosphere and ocean weather forecasts and detection and prediction of climate variability and change; Advance understanding and improve predictability of the global integrated Earth system; Contribute to improve marine and ocean forecasting from the global to the coastal scales by incorporating research innovation in operational systems; In doing so, JCOMM promotes a state-of-the-art, globally distributed, and fully integrated marine observing, data management, and services system based on present and next-generation technologies and capabilities. The main challenges that the Marine Meteorology and Oceanography Programme (MMOP) is facing are: Enhancing the coordination of global real-time, near-real time and delayed-mode (up to 1 month) data acquisition of ocean data between the oceanographic community and the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, including the national navies, oceanographic institutions and centres, operational and research centres, etc.; Moving from the "full scale global operations" to the regional and national implementation in order to meet user needs. This may be achieved through developing a marine equivalent of the WAFC concept, where a very few Global Centres are responsible for the deep water areas, with regional and national inputs being provided for near shore and coastal areas; Meeting the users requirements and establishing good connections between the end product users, their producers, as well as with data providers, and observational Programmes. Within this, the role of governance of the safety services must be considered, where ensuring connections with, for example, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), are paramount; Sustaining the global ocean observing system (in situ and satellite based) in order to achieve optimal sampling capabilities for analysis, reanalysis and forecasts; Organizing training workshops and online learning modules for Capacity Development at the different stages of the production line; Ensuring that relationships with other agencies engaged in the provision of safety information, such as IMO and the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) are robust and resourced appropriately. Moreover, end-users will soon require new application areas, driven both by safety at sea, and socioeconomic pressures. Some examples are: Offshore resource exploration;

121 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 14 (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) Military and defence operations; Marine engineering; Sub-surface communications; Tsunami prediction and warning systems; Storm surges and coastal defence communities; Ship routing and navigation; Operations in the marginal ice zone; Pollution monitoring prevention and clean-up; Marine and coastal environmental management; Space weather impacts on safe navigation; Synoptic, seasonal and other long-term forecasting; Climate prediction at different timescales; Sustainable management of commercial fishing. Many of these, if not most, will require crosscutting collaborations between Programmes of WMO and IOC but also others: a recent example is the WMO coastal inundation forecasting demonstration project (CIFDP) which was initiated jointly by JCOMM and the Commission for Hydrology Aeronautical meteorology services International aviation meteorological service provision is coordinated and overseen by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and is supported by, and contributes to, the GDPFS. The services, underpinned and informed by the necessary guidelines, manuals and standards, are delivered through two World Area Forecast Centres, seven Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centres, nine Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres and the numerous Meteorological Watch Offices (MWO) and Airport Meteorological Offices. In addition, there are plans for the development of regional hazardous (aviation) weather advisory centres for space weather, other meteorological hazards and nuclear emergencies. The ICAO Global Air Navigation Plan ( ), based on the implementation of the phased Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBU) approach, will require the increasing integration highresolution meteorological data into 4-D Air Traffic Management (ATM) decision support systems to support and enable more efficient trajectory-based (gate-to-gate) operations. This transition, from the traditional product-based 'briefing and advising' approach to one based on the application of best data by ATM decision support systems, will inevitably result in significant changes to the current models of aviation meteorological service delivery with consequent impacts on and challenges for MET Services within the overarching framework of the WMO GDPFS. There is a significant opportunity to further enhance the relevance of the GDPFS given that high quality meteorological science, modeling, observations and interoperable data will be key enablers in ensuring the successful implementation of the ICAO GANP.

122 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p Agricultural meteorology services The Commission for Agricultural Meteorology (CAgM) is proposing an AgMet Data Collection and Production Centres (DCPC) to support climate and weather services innovations for the sector of Agriculture and Food Security. Global centres (WAMIS DCPC) would develop: (c) (d) Operational activities for downscaling NWP outputs for applications in the agriculture and food security sectors including S2S in space, time and element; Operational activities for Reanalysis on historical/in situ data including nonmeteorological data (that is, crop monitoring) from remote sensing platforms; Operational data services for high resolution Agro Meteorological products and supplementary RS information (on a semi-real time basis); Operational activities for ICT sharable platforms under cloud environments with GISonline interfaces for agricultural and food security applications. Whilst regional centres (WAMIS Portal) would provide: (c) (d) Operational services for Agrometeorological Bulletin archival and dissemination; Operational activities for early warning services on agrometeorological hazards/extremes, based on region-specific needs; Operational data services to support regional agrometeorological outlook services; Training in the use of operational agrometeorological products and services including promising tools. This vision will clearly necessitate significant changes in the traditional GDPFS operations and, as well, in WIS and, by extension, WIGOS. Non-traditional data, computing needs and products dissemination and visualization will need to be addressed. For example, a specialized or dedicated GISC/DCPC of WIS to support WAMIS grid/cloud portal will be a promising solution in improving resource sharing among CAgM member countries by allowing them to make better use of remotely located ICT resources for agrometeorological services at national/regional scale, especially when it provides interactive forecast-based agrometeorological services via simple Internet access. Also, the need for very high resolution climate and weather products (obtained through downscaling or other means), spanning a time interval from minutes to years, is a challenge that presents seamless modeling technology (Sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) is an example) which has not yet successfully resolved. Many countries do not yet have the capacity or the resources to run the kilometer or even meter scale models that will be needed. Nevertheless, the modernization of agrometeorological services under a WMO leadership role, and involving evolved GDPFS, WIS and WIGOS components, could be an interesting option Earth system environmental and socioeconomic services Clearly the ability to assimilate large volumes of data and to run ever more complex earth system models has been a major achievement of the GDPFS over the past few decades. The Sand and Dust Storm (SDS) forecasting system is a good recent example. Can these models be expanded to either: (1) incorporate all natural and man-made hazards, such as Space Weather, Air Quality issues, from urban bad air events to regional events such as forest and slash and burn smoke, vector-borne diseases, toxic algae events, etc.; or (2) provide an

123 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 16 increasing diversity of decision-making support systems in fields like integrated ecosystem management tools, food production (fisheries, agriculture), air, land and sea transport, energy production, particularly renewable in a context of a carbon-free economy, urbanization and megacities environmental management issues, and many other products, so that science can deliver to society a truly holistic multi-hazard forecast and warnings system? If this is so, then how are the other actors and partners to be brought into the picture? The organizational and technical framework that global meteorology has developed could be expanded to encompass many other hazards or decision-making aids to civil society, but is this desirable and, if so, how does WMO go about leading or sharing this development? 2.2 Regional requirements In order to expand the scope of the GDPFS, stronger linkages with WMO constituent bodies (Congress, EC, RA's and technical commissions) and related programmes will need to be established. Therefore, a close interaction of CBS with CAS, CCl, CHy, CAeM, CAgM, and JCOMM, as well as most of their main Programmes (GAW, WWRP, WCRP, GCOS, GOOS, WHOS, PWS, HWRP, WSP, PWSP, WIS, WIGOS, DRR, etc.) will be necessary in order to successfully evolve the present structure of GDPFS by ensuring all facets of requirements impacted by GDPFS are accounted for in the design of the future system. Also, given the more local aspects of some of the new services, RAs will need to become more closely involved, depending on the specific focus and scope of the new services. To expand a bit on the links with regional bodies (for example, TCP regional bodies, RA working groups) one should note that regional bodies, by their very nature, represent classes of both providers and users of observational, data and forecasting products. As well, RAs provide a governance mechanism to plan and coordinate activities as well as providing a mechanism to enable supra-national discussions and decision-making. Those bodies vary immensely in their capacities and political influence, and specific product needs, this being driven by both socioeconomic, administrative and political factors, and the specific regional characteristics that weather, climate, hydrological and other environmental impacts display in the specific global areas which they cover. As the GDPFS evolves towards the provision of an expanding set of products, and focuses increasingly on forecasting impacts, close coordination with regional bodies will become more and more essential. Forecasting impacts at an increasing space and time resolution requires access to whole new sets of observations and data, as well as an expanding suite of numerical models, ensemble products, etc., coupled with a diverse suite of dissemination and presentation technologies: these will vary greatly between regional bodies. The challenge of closing the gaps between 191 NMHS's spread across the earth will require increased linkages, through better feedbacks and interactions. 2.3 Requirements of other international organizations Linkages with a number of other international organizations, including humanitarian agencies, some in the UN Family, UNEP, UNESCO, IAEA, WHO, some outside, like GEO, or ICSU are also required to ensure the GDPFS system of the future can respond to their needs. 2.4 Research The value chain in meteorology is rapidly being diversified. From mainly providing weather forecasts to the general public, the NMHSs and the weather enterprise progressively develop, and apply, downstream models/post processing of NWP forecasts or reanalysis for a range of applications in specific societal sectors. Marine forecasts, GCM climate projections and environmental predictions are also included. Many of these have been rendered possible by adopting the seamless and integrated modeling approach. Examples of specific applications include road traffic, aviation (civil and military), shipping, energy production and consumption (wind, solar, hydro, fossil), air quality, integrated global greenhouse gas information system, biogeochemical fluxes (ecosystem including freshwater

124 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 17 impact), estimation of emissions of trace chemical species, agriculture, tourism, high impact weather (wind, precipitation, temperature), avalanches and mud slides, coastal erosion, storm surges, offshore weather including waves, icing on infrastructure, emergency preparedness (search and rescue), oil spill, drifting infrastructure; volcanic ash dispersion, dispersion and deposition of radioactivity, large explosions and fires, forest fires, sand and dust storms. The list can be made even longer. The important point here is to note the foundational role of research in making this evolution possible. WMO, largely through the CAS (GAW, WWRP, GURME), CCl, JCOMM and other research Programmes, some of which are co-sponsored, such as the WCRP, GCOS and others, has played a key role in making it an operational reality. It should also be noted that most of the research initiated, coordinated or facilitated through partnerships by WMO are services and policy-driven, as is most of the research conducted within the NMHS's. Research activities provide an important sentinel role in that it facilitates an over the horizon S&T watch, which allows better strategic planning for future operational Programmes and the GDPFS. The future evolution of the GDPFS will require stronger links with research, and eventually the capacity to test novel operational products. Some examples that have been discussed are TIGGE and TIGGE LAM, S2S, Polar related experimental products, CHAMP, IG3IS. By making these prototypes available to WMO users, it will be possible to obtain feedbacks from the whole WMO community and, hopefully, their partners: these feedbacks will be essential to assess their accuracy, identify potential improvements, and in the end help tailor them more closely to their needs. In other words the new GDPFS will need to facilitate a smooth transfer of research results into operations. 2.5 Capacity development, including education and training The evolution of the GDPFS will require a strong focus on capacity development, education, training and support to those countries facing difficulties in assessing and using the new types of products that will be made available to them. There will be a challenge in interpreting the value (accuracy, relevance and impact on decision-making processes) of specific products, as well as disseminating and presenting them to users. A key issue here will be for WMO to ensure that the progress made in a subset of countries in providing a more diverse, probabilistic-based and impact-focused set of products is actually useful to those countries who presently lack the capacity to make best use of these, countries which are often those who need them most. 2.6 Why are we doing this? Evolution, instead of revolution There are a number of reasons for re-examining the GDPFS. On the one hand, we are witnessing rapid advances in information and computing technologies (including such objects as smartphones, cloud computing and data storage and retrieval, big data and deep data analytics concepts, fast broadband links, extremely powerful computing technology (capacity doubling every 18 months), novel visualization and display techniques, etc.). On the other hand, we are seeing steadily increasing demands from users for highly-localized weather forecast data provided at a high temporal resolution (at least hourly for the first hrs.), spanning a much broader level of dimensions than traditional weather products, and focusing on risk warnings and impact forecasts. In other words, both the "system and the "services" aspects will need to evolve. Moreover, with the successful introduction of the seamless or integrated approach in earth system modeling, and the possibility through coupled modeling techniques to touch many nontraditional weather related applications, there will also be a need to re-examine if, how and how much the GDPFS needs to evolve in order to interact or liaise with non-traditional providers of data and services (such as climate services, hydrological services, atmospheric air quality services, space-weather services, maritime or polar services, etc.).

125 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 18 Simultaneously, while adapting to these changes, the GDPFS will need to maintain its role as a global enterprise which enables NMHS's to fulfill their national obligations, keep on enhancing WMO's role in disaster risk reduction and mitigation, increasing its linkages with the Climate Services Information System (CSIS) of the GFCS, and ultimately contributing to the reduction of service capability gaps between developed and developing countries. 3. The Vision The proposed vision for the Future GDPFS is: (c) The GDPFS will be an effective and adaptable monitoring and prediction system enabling Members and partners to make better-informed decisions; The GDPFS will facilitate the provision of impact-based forecasts and risk-based warnings through partnership and collaboration; The GDPFS will do so through the sharing of weather, water, climate and related environmental data, products and services in a cost effective, timely and agile way, with the effect of benefiting all WMO Members, while also reducing the gaps between developed and developing Members. A good way to crystalize this vision is to project us in 2031, that is, 16 years from now, and have a look at what the GDPFS might be. At that time, the overall accuracy of state of the art global prediction models will have improved enough to add 1.5 days of overall predictability, if the historical rate of progress of one day per decade is maintained; we will finally have achieved the goal set by Jules Charney and others when they launched GARP in the 1970's. Global models will have resolutions below 5km, and mesoscale models significantly below 1km, down to a few tens of meters in urban areas, for example. We will have achieved: (c) (d) (e) Full predictive skill at the sub-seasonal timescales and Ensemble Prediction Systems (EPSs) will routinely have hundreds of members and outputs shared between many global centres; Forecast products providing accurate and detailed information on such things as closed water budgets over most watersheds, wind, temperature and air quality information in urban street, canyons and outwards to the surrounding countryside; Detailed agrometeorological information from hourly to seasonal cycles; Precise storm surges and wind damage estimates from cyclone, sea state, including rogue waves, and dangerous shore currents; Products on telecommunications and electricity blackouts due to solar eruptions and on toxic algal blooms, pest migrations and the like. Most or even all of this information will be made accessible as a public good product to all WMO Members, and their partners 2. And most of this information will be made available either in raw format, or directly as impact information. It will be disseminated and presented in whatever medium or format the users have chosen, and use point to point or, increasingly, cloud to point communication broadband technologies. It will be quality controlled, it will be validated and will have metadata information with appropriate publications in the peer-review 2 The assumption here is that the public funding of computing facilities that NMHS's can use is maintained at a sufficient level; if not, the possible landscape described above may not be entirely funded or controlled by state-owned institutions

126 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 19 literature and, in the case of forecast information, it will be verified. Embedded in the design of the system will be two-way feedback and real time communication capacities between the provider and the receiver of the data. The system will also have evolved through partnership agreements that allow it to absorb or carry information produced either by the private sector and academia, or by other closely related organizations to the traditional NMHS's; And by using alternate and less expensive technologies, such as cloud computing, crowdsourcing, smartphones, open source software, big data storage, etc., as well as potential partnerships with private sector or other nontraditional information providers, gaps between WMO Members, in terms of ease and cost of access and positive user impacts, will have decreased significantly. In fact these recent technology changes open up the possibility of both NWP and GCM future development strategies (both science content and operational implementation and capacity) being "community driven", relying on distributed computing and data storage capacities, thus making relatively obsolete the need for purely national facilities. By inference, it thus follows that a potential path for the future GDPFS will be the development and provision of tools giving access to pooled resources, so that NMHS's can obtain the tailored information they need to address requirements of their users of services, thus bypassing the need to implement modeling capacities at home. An extension of this approach, is for the users to directly access the information they need to link to their decision making-processes directly. 4. Scope (integration, standardization and interoperability) The WMO Strategic Plan will largely determine the scope of the evolution of the GDPFS. It will be driven by the need to support the role of NMHSs in their response to global societal needs facing the world population at large, focusing not only on those sectors for which they traditionally have had a leading role to play, mainly in reducing the socioeconomic impacts of weather and climate related disasters in their respective countries, but more broadly on contributing to an expanding number of sustainable development issues related to weather, climate, water and related environmental factors, such as contributions to a carbonfree economy. This expansion or broadening of the role of the GDPFS will be made possible by a number of factors, a key one being the seamless and integrated modeling approach, which allows the delivery of new environmental services in support of sustainable development across all timescales and disciplines (agriculture, hydrology etc.). Standardization and interoperability of data and products will also be important factors in providing this broadening. The figure below, extracted from the WMO Strategic Plan illustrates the role of the NMHSs in responding to those needs.

127 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 20 The GDPFS, whilst maintaining its traditional role for standards, validation, verification and overall quality management for data processing and forecast services, will expand its linkages with other WMO constituent bodies and Programmes, with emphasis on regional bodies (TCP regional bodies, RAs) and Programmes. It will also contribute to the capacity-development of its client and user base, and will strengthen its interactions with research, through participation in the design and operational testing or validation of novel products emerging from RDPs and FDPs. 5. Benefits The benefits of the future GDPFS can be articulated along three axes : contribution to the UN and WMO agendas, the quality, diversity and relevance of GDPFS information and furthering existing and developing new partnerships. 5.1 Contribution to the UN and WMO agendas Referring to the WMO Strategic plan (WMO-No. 1161), Enabling Sustainable Development, p. 8), the following three Global Societal needs (GSN) are of fundamental importance in defining priorities: Improved protection of life and property by mitigating the impacts of hazardous weather, climate, water and other environmental events and addressing the need for improved safety of transport on land, at sea, and in the air; Poverty eradication, sustainable livelihoods, food security, sustainable access to water and energy, and economic growth by making available weather, climate, water and related environmental services to support the post-2015 sustainable development agenda, climate risk management, climate resilience, green economy, disaster risk reduction, food security, improved health and social well-being of citizens, water management, and tapping renewable energy resources such as hydro-, solar- and wind-power;

128 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 21 (c) Sustainable use of natural resources and improved environmental quality by designing weather, climate, water and related environmental services to manage atmospheric, terrestrial and water resources at all timescales, and the development and management of other natural resources. From the preceding sections, it is clear that the proposed evolution of the GDPFS will benefit this important and central item in the UN agenda. It also will contribute to a number of WMO priorities for , in particular: Improvement of the effectiveness of high quality impact-based forecasts and early warnings for extreme weather, climate and water events for disaster risk reduction; GFCS and Aaviation. 5.2 Improving the quality, diversity and relevance of GDPFS information, data and products The new GDPFS will allow testing and eventual operational inclusion of many projects, all focusing on one or more of these priorities: SWFDP expanding to other regions on the globe, GLOFAS exploring the capacity to forecast flood risks on the globe, MAP providing a successful example in a mountainous area, CHAMP looking at forecasting the hydrological budget of the North American Great Lakes area, CREWS, an initiative which aims to significantly increase the capacity for seamless Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) in the climate realm in order to generate and communicate effective impact-based early warnings, and riskinformation for hazardous hydrometeorological and climate events, IG3IS which could provide, at a very high spatial resolution, an integrated 4D snapshot of GHG and other related atmospheric chemical constituents budget over a given area of interest, GAMOS and ChiNAMOS, a global agrometeorological outlook system, Space Weather operational forecasting system, mitigating risks of solar eruption activity to satellites, electrical and communication networks, etc. This list is a subset of the full number of initiatives now being examined by WMO, its Members and partners. 5.3 Opening a door for new partnerships The common thread here is that the seamless and integrated modeling paradigm (with a high resolution core of atmospheric, oceanic and land surface modeling capacity, coupled with complex earth system modeling subsystems, and benefiting from powerful supercomputing capacity, broadband communication capacity, massive data storage capacity) will be easily accessible by an increasing number of non-traditional users. Moreover, using new dissemination technologies (cloud-to-point delivery of the information, smart phone access, emerging social media technologies), client focused adjusted means of product presentation or communication, as opposed to traditional methodologies, will bring in new partners to the WMO world, including private sector operators and academia. It is unclear at this time how this will all evolve, but in the end, this transformation should yield direct benefits to decision makers or ordinary clients and users in optimizing either their business practices, risk mitigation of threatening environmental high impact events, or longer range adaptation and sustainable strategies. 6. Opportunities, Success factors and Challenges 6.1 The context The business of weather, water, climate and earth system observations and predictions is, first and foremost, a science-based, high technology (largely IT-related) just-in-time information enterprise. This information has global reach and relevance, and is key to countless decision-making processes, be it on: (1) global policymaking issues (UNFCC, UNCDD, Ozone, COP 21, ttransport of atmospheric pollutants and toxics and associated morbidity, nuclear weapons

129 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 22 controls, etc.); and (2) global weather, water and climate related disaster risk reduction, and 3) important and steadily growing socioeconomic impacts. Recently, significant scientific progresses in both observational technology (particularly spacebased observing systems), as well as novel climate and weather data assimilation and modeling practices, have led us to the possibility of vastly expanding the diversity of its environmental information potential. At the same time, it is fair to say that both the information technology and dissemination related processes are evolving at an accelerating pace (the transition of the traditional paperbased written media to a largely IT-based dissemination process (tablet, smart-phone, etc.,) provides a good example of this acceleration. Given that there is a global market for the types of products NMHS's and GPC's, largely publicly funded, are on the verge of making available, it is reasonable to expect an increasing interest from the private sector with potential partnerships with the academia to take a share of the market (in fact, this has already started). 6.2 Important issues needing consideration Throughout this document, and in many of the discussions with the group of experts, it is possible to identify a number of important issues that need some consideration if the proposed evolution of the GDPFS is to be a success Access to data and observations One important consequence of moving towards a seamless and integrated modeling approach is access to new, and sometimes non-traditional observations, and at much higher spatial and temporal resolutions than has been customary. This follows from the fact that forecast products will expand to new disciplinary or thematic domains, which so far have not been part of the traditional inputs and outputs of production centers of NMHSs. There are also other dimensions to consider: standards and formats, interoperability of the information, information storage, telecom bandwidth and downstream computing and postprocessing (this may lead the GDPFS to establish globally distributed storage farms such as what CERN has done to manage the information generated by LHC; make available the basic information along with the approved piece of code to generate the post-processed information on cloud computing platform). This will require discussions on availability and data exchange protocols between WMO members and other international, national and regional organizations. Similarly, the concept of "risk-based warnings" and "impact forecasting" requires access and sharing of novel types of data (infrastructure, emergency decision-making policies, population distribution, transportation networks, etc.,) not easily amenable to present guidelines on formats, metadata, validation, etc. Moreover, some countries could be reluctant to make this data available for any number of reasons. Again, there will be a need for extensive discussions between WMO Members and the other organizations controlling access to these data Future products: optimal production, dissemination and usage Many of the future warning and forecast data and information, such as those related to air quality, hydrological, marine, aviation, agrometeorological information and, more generally speaking, socioeconomic applications, are often of use for organizations outside traditional NMHSs. These organizations have their own internal decision-making processes, data and forecast related protocols, partners and user bases. A good example was provided for hydrological forecasting; And similar issues exist for other services. Again, WMO will need to establish the necessary partnerships, in order to expand the current GDPFS menu to these new products. In fact, concerning so-called "big data" related issues and applications, WMO has already started such a process.

130 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p. 23 Another key aspect which requires further consideration is user information and feedback. The creation by WMO of some form of user information platform (UIP), geographically or thematically structured, is perhaps worth some further consideration Transition towards a new global, regional and national production infrastructure Many of the products also depend on very high-resolution observational and modeling grids, often at the kilometer size and less. A relatively small number of countries actually have the capacity (human and technical) to operate at these resolutions; and at this time, at least, it does not seem feasible to generate these products at a small number of central locations (e.g., GPCs) for global distribution. In order to help prevent the widening of a gap between the countries which possess the capacity, and those that do not, some transitory and eventually permanent solutions will have to be found, perhaps involving private sector or academia-led initiatives, or use of new computing technologies, such as cloud-computing Training and capacity-building The increasing complexity of many of the products will in turn increasingly require an increase in the capacity of the users (NMHSs or others) to make optimal usage of their information content. This will represent a challenge for many countries, and necessitate a strategic re-think by WMO and its Members regarding the approach to training and capacity-building initiatives Organizational impacts (impacts on GDPFS Centres) Finally, as this expansion of the scope of the GDPFS happens, and numerous agreements and partnerships with new international, national and regional organizations are struck, there could be pressures from countries and partners to revisit the current membership structures. For example, it could be that some countries will wish to be represented by different types of managers or administrators along with the current Directors or CEOs of NMHSs. 6.3 Policy considerations From the preceding sections, it becomes clear that whilst the evolution of the GDPFS proper remains an internal management and operational issue, it will also require EC and Congress to consider a number of policy issues, which will guide, clarify and facilitate this evolution Open data policies In order to fulfill WMO vision, and a successful evolution of the GDPFS, free and open access to all necessary data, particularly observations, is critical. We are already witnessing initiatives, some led by the private sector, where new observations are either not shared openly, or if so, at reduced spatial and temporal resolutions, or against cost. At the same time, while most observations paid for by the public purse have open access, some are not. There are also related issues linked with formats, validation and quality control. Eventually some policy decisions will be required to clarify these issues and propose some solutions Role of the private sector and the academia This issue is closely linked with open data policies. However, there is also increasing evidence that some major corporations are moving towards establishing their own internal data processing and forecasting capacities, including global analyses and predictions. Given the potential value of applications derived from such capacities, mostly targeting specific socioeconomic sectors, they will, in a sense, potentially duplicate or compete with public good products made available through the future GDPFS. At some point, some policy decisions might be needed as to how the GDPFS should take these developments into account.

131 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p Training and capacity-building We have already alluded to the linkages of this aspect to the evolution of the GDPFS. In the discussions leading to this paper, there was often mention of the high priority that should be given to this issue. As the products become even more complex, both in their content as well as in their formats (ensemble products, impact based, etc.), and target many new and different non-traditional sectors, training and capacity building will become essential to the success of the GDPFS evolution, unless one accepts the possibility of increasing gaps between Members. Discussions between Members and eventually policy decisions will probably be needed GDPFS products quality assessment One of the key benefits obtained by WMO Members from using GDPFS products should be assurance on their quality, accuracy and reliability. Concerning weather prediction activities, for which the WMO is the UN lead agency, and which is its core business (GDPFS, WDS, etc.), there is no official external scientific assessment (produced say by an international team of experts) of these aspects. Yet, we do produce an assessment for weather modification activities, which clarifies what is scientifically validated, and what isn't. Perhaps WMO should consider proposing to put together a core team of experts, under the leadership of its RES and WDS Programmes, and reinstate a similar activity, which was dropped some years ago. This would set the bar for what are good products, and those that fail, to be based on good science! It would reaffirm WMO global leadership in these matters, but would also contribute very positively to the future evolution of the GDPFS, help its users in their decision-making activities, and facilitate the discussions with potential new partners. 7. Terms of Reference (ToRs) for the Steering Group on Seamless GDPFS The Steering Group on Seamless GDPFS (following the request by Cg-17), will be chaired by the President of CBS and will comprise representatives of technical commissions and regional associations, with the following Terms of Reference: Provide guidance and monitor the development of the process for the gradual establishment of a future enhanced integrated and seamless WMO Data-processing and Forecasting System; (c) Manage the integration of new components in the GDPFS, including addressing synergies with and requirements of all WMO Programmes and Regions, through active consultations with technical commissions and regional associations; Develop a description of the set of products the system should produce; Complete the White Paper along with the Implementation Plan for the process, for consideration by EC-69.

132 RA IV-17/INF. 4.6(1), p Roadmap (phases) Reference LIST OF ACRONYMS See WMO Operating Plan (pages 68-71) Annex: Outline of the Implementation Plan (see RA II-16 Doc 4.6(1)) PROVISIONAL REPORT (Approved documents)/ra-ii-16-d04-6(1)-seamless-dpfs-approved_en.docx

133 World Meteorological Organization REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) Seventeenth Session San José, Costa Rica, 27 to 31 March 2017 RA IV-17/INF. 4.9 Submitted by: Secretary-General 21.III.2017 PARTNERSHIPS Members of the regional association continued to benefit from targeted cooperation activities undertaken by WMO in collaboration with fellow UN system agencies as well as regional entities and other international organizations. Further to decisions taken by Congress at its seventeenth session (Cg-17) and the Executive Council at its sixty-eighth session (EC-68) regarding WMO s contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Secretariat is developing practical and focused actions to support Members implementation of the Agenda at a regional level. Members of the Region increasingly recognize the value of communications for raising the visibility of NMHSs and WMO in the Region. WMO cooperation with the UN system and other international organizations Regional Organizations Cooperation for the development and implementation of programmes and projects related to meteorology, mitigating climate change and disaster risk reduction has continued with the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Comité Regional de Recursos Hidráulicos (CRRH), Sistema de Integración Centroamericano (SICA), Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO) and el Centro de Coordinación para la Prevención de los Desastres Naturales en América (CEPREDENAC). It is expected that collaborative activities will continue and be enhanced with these entities. WMO Regional Office The Office for North America, Central America and the Caribbean has participated in the various regional activities including the RA IV Hurricane Committee meetings, the Caribbean Meteorological Organization meetings, and sessions of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions and the Conference of Directors of Ibero-american NMHSs. WMO contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the centrepiece of the global development agenda adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015, identifies 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 169 associated targets and highlights a number of international mechanisms for supporting its implementation. It is recognized that WMO and its community, through their explicit mandates to protect lives and property, already contribute to the overall Agenda and various SDGs, both directly and indirectly, as well as through active participation in related processes of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction , the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the new urban agenda under Habitat III. Members can benefit from WMO s status as a UN specialized agency through the unique network of partnerships and opportunities developed and generated with other communities, sectors and disciplines, and through platforms like the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) in the area of climate services.

134 RA IV-17/INF. 4.9, p. 2 Additionally, the WMO Strategic Plan for , sets out WMO priorities that are fully aligned with actions to enable its Members to meet the demands of the new agenda for improved information, products and services across the weather, climate, hydrological, marine and related environmental spectrum. At the regional level, Decision 70 (EC-68) - WMO contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, outlines ways through which the Organization and its Members can support implementation of the Agenda in the sectors of food security, health, water and sanitation, urban development, climate change and ocean and coastal management. Communications and Public Affairs The Communications and Public Affairs (CPA) Office has remained firmly committed to strengthening the interaction between Information and Public Affairs (IPA) Focal Points at NMHSs and UN communication staff in promoting WMO s messages, developing materials and sharing best practices. This collaboration has contributed to meeting the needs of the media and the public at large for accurate and in-depth information about weather, climate and water and the value provided to society by NMHSs. The CPA Office also regularly sent by to Focal Points the daily update In the Media to inform NMHSs about the press coverage received by WMO and WMO issues. NMHSs are assisted every year in the celebration of the annual World Meteorological Day (WMD) as a way of increasing the visibility of NMHSs. WMO implemented outreach activities to support the Sendai Conference on DRR and other events in the Region. The CPA Office is now fully active and present on the main social media channels of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr, in particular to engage younger meteorologists and other new audiences through these channels. It has encouraged collaboration with IPA Focal Points on these efforts. The Office has also relaunched the public WMO website at the new URL public.wmo.int with the goal of advancing the image and messages of the WMO community. A project to engage weather presenters as climate communicators was launched in CPA organized workshops featuring IPCC scientists and communications experts in New York in 2014, and it sponsored weather presenters from NMHSs and TV stations in RA IV as participants in climate change COPs and workshops in Paris and elsewhere. CPA has also facilitated the provision of media-friendly graphics and climate stories to international weather presenters.

135 World Meteorological Organization REGIONAL ASSOCIATION IV (NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN) Seventeenth Session San José, Costa Rica, 27 to 31 March 2017 RA IV-17/INF. 5.1 Submitted by: Secretary-General 22.II.2017 WMO STRATEGIC AND OPERATING PLAN - REGIONAL ASPECTS

136 RA IV-17/INF. 5.1, p.2