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Research and systematic observation

Introductory presentation by the UNFCCC secretariat

Olga PilifosovaWorkshop on the preparation of fourth national communications

from Annex I Parties, Dublin 30 September – 1 October 2004

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Content

•Introduction •Research

• Reporting requirements• What and how was reported: Findings and problems

• Systematic observation • Reporting requirements & UNFCCC Guidelines for

reporting on GCOS (5/CP.5)• What and how was reported: Findings and problems• Good practices: some examples

• Starting discussion points

               

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Introduction

Articles 4 (g), (h) and Article 5:“Parties shall promote and cooperate in scientific,

technological, technical and socio-economic and other research,… and systematic observations, …

fully participate in the GCOS process…”

• Research: SBSTA re-introduced the issue at its agenda in order to enhance communication and interaction between international research community and the international policy-making process • Systematic observation: COP and SBSTA adopted a 3-tiered approach to address deficiencies of global network:

– the UNFCCC reporting guidelines on GCOS,– regional workshops in developing countries,– adequacy report by the GCOS secretariat

               

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UNFCCC reporting requirements:RESEARCH…should report in summary form on action taken relating to R&SO,

general policy on and funding of research and systematic observation, support relating capacity building in developing countries

B… information on highlights, innovations and significant efforts made with regard to:

(a) Climate process and climate system studies, including paleoclimate studies;

(b) Modelling and prediction, including general circulation models;(c) Research on the impacts of climate change;(d) Socio-economic analysis, including analysis of both the impacts of

climate change and response options;(e) Research and development on mitigation and adaptation

technologies

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Research: what was reported

• Institutional arrangements, actions taken and new programmes on research, funding, participation in international activities, IPCC

• Summary/highlights structured according to national research programmes, planning or infrastructure:

Climate processes and system, climate modelling and prediction Impacts of and adaptation to climate change Mitigation of climate change Other (e.g. GHG Inventory)

• Socio-economic analysis and some R&D on technologies included in the sections on I&A and mitigation

• Information on CB to support research in developing countries

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Reporting on research: some problems

– Some Parties presented in detail the results of studies (e.g. on observed climate change),

– It is not always clear what are the “highlights, innovations and significant efforts” since the previous reporting

– Reporting on R&D of mitigation, adaptation technologies is diverse and many cases limited

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Reporting requirements Systematic Observation: …should report in summary form on action taken relating to R&SO,

general policy on and funding of research and systematic observation, support relating capacity building in developing countries

• Summary info on status of national plans, programmes and support for ground- and space-based climate and on global climate observing system (GCOS) activities in:

(a) Atmospheric climate observing systems, including those measuring atmospheric constituents;

(b) Ocean climate observing systems; (c) Terrestrial climate observing systems; (d) Support for developing countries to establish and maintain

observing systems, and related data and monitoring systems

• This summary reporting should be guided by the UNFCCC guidelines on GCOS: 5/CP.5

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UNFCCC REPORTING GUIDELINES ON GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE OBSERVING SYSTEMS

• 5/CP.5 Invites all Parties to provide detailed reports on systematic observation in accordance with these guidelines, and on a voluntary basis for Parties not included in Annex I

• What constitutes the guidelines on GCOS?– a set of general instructions on the preferred approach for reporting on

the status of meteorological and atmospheric, oceanographic, and terrestrial observing systems

• Why it is important to report in accordance with the guidelines on GCOS?– standard reporting enable to easier synthesize information and construct

an overall picture of the status of global observing systems

– these reports provide essential information that can be used in making the case for upgrading climate observing systems, esp. in developing countries/EIT countries

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Systematic Observations Findings

• 23 Parties submitted reports on GCOS (separate and within NC3), all parties provided summary reporting in NCs

• The process of preparing the NRs useful for SO in countries

• In the global context, the reports did provide a means of gauging the status of global climate observing systems in many developed countries

• Difficulties in reporting on adherence to the GCOS monitoring principles

• Capacity building activities related to both GCOS and to the wider global observing system and/or WWW networks

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Systematic Observations: good practices and problems

• Good practices: • supplementary information in the form* presented in by 11 Parties, • institutional arrangements in a table form (Switzerland), • maps of GCOS networks (Austria, Australia, Canada, Switzerland ,

UK, USA), • description of adherence to each of the 10 GCOS principle

(Australia, USA)

• Problems:– some Parties provided information on WWW stations and not on all

designated GCOS stations– in a number of cases information presented in textual form instead

of required tables– Limited reporting on adherence to the GCOS monitoring principles,

best practices, and deficiencies

-------------------------------*The supplementary guidelines could be found at GCOS web site http://www.wmo.

ch/web/gcos/gcoshome.html

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Starting discussion points

• How to make reporting on research transparent and consistent with the guidelines: e.g. provide concise information on actions taken, highlights, innovations, progress made?

• What aspect of the R&D on mitigation and adaptation technologies should be reported under the research section and what in the P&M and V&A?

• How to ensure that actions taken by business and private sector in relation to R&D are reflected in the reporting?

• How to ensure that reporting on systematic observation provides full information in accordance with the UNFCCC guidelines on GCOS separately, but in the summary form in NC?

• How to improve reporting on adherence to the GCOS monitoring principles and deficiencies and gaps?

• What are other challenges and problems in reporting on R&SO?