The document discusses climate services at various levels - globally, regionally in Europe, and nationally in the UK. It describes the history and goals of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) established by the UN to provide climate information to vulnerable communities. In the UK, Climate Service UK is a partnership between government agencies to deliver climate data and services to support decision-making. Examples are given of collaboration with Singapore's meteorological service to build climate modeling capacity and with US agencies to strengthen agriculture adaptation.

1. Climate Services
Adaptation subcommittee, Climate
Welcome to the2013 Change
Met Office
Commission for Wales, Sept
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2. Overview
• Global activities - Global Framework for Climate
Services, Climate Service Partnership
• European activities (many!)
• Activities in the UK and at the Met Office
(Climate Service UK)
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3. History of the Global Framework for
Climate Services
1979: World Climate Conference-1  WCP, WCRP, IPCC
1990: World Climate Conference-2  UNFCCC, GCOS
2009: World Climate Conference-3 called for GFCS
2012: Extraordinary World Meteorological Congress approved GFCS
2013: 1st Intergovernmental Board on Climate Services
3

4. Global Framework for Climate
Services
Developed under the UN system
Enable society to better manage the
risks and opportunities arising from
climate variability and change,
especially for those who are most
vulnerable to climate-related hazards
This will be done through
development and incorporation of
science-based climate information into
planning, policy and practice.
http://www.wmo.int/gfcs
Hewitt et al (2012) Nature Climate
Change

5. The principles of the GFCS

6. The components of the
GFCS

7. The GFCS initial priority areas
Agriculture
and food
security
Health
Water
manageme
nt
Disaster
Risk
Reduction

8. Climate Service Partnership
• Arising from First International
Conference on Climate Services
• Connect climate service
activities
• Forum for collaborating and
sharing experiences
• Involves researchers, service
providers, donors, decision
makers, …
• Annual International Conference

9. European Commission funded R&D
projects related to climate services
ECLISE – demonstrate local climate services to support adaptation
policies and conceptualise a European climate service
CLIM-RUN – climate information in the Mediterranean region
responding to user needs
NACLIM – improve our understanding of the predictability of the
climate in the N. Atlantic/European sector.
SPECS - climate prediction systems for seasonal-to-decadal time
scales, to provide actionable climate information.
EUPORIAS - maximise the usefulness of seasonal-to-decadal climate
information through close collaboration with end users.
ECOMS – coordinate across EC projects and a ‘think tank’ on future
research priorities
Plus JPI-Climate, Climate-KIC, GMES/Copernicus, ...

10. Climate Services:
the Application of Climate Science
• From mitigation to mitigation and adaptation
• From few to many
customers/users/stakeholders
• Global century scenarios to regional
predictions, days to decades ahead
• Climate change to climate change and
climate variability
• Broad climate to characteristics of weather
including extremes and impacts
• Operational delivery – regularly updated
monitoring, forecasts, products & services

11. Climate Service UK
Partnership: working with Environment
Agency, Natural Environment Research
Council and others
User driven: working together through
customer partnerships to build knowledge,
develop user-relevant tools, and ensure
climate information is used in decision-making
Ensure a sustainable service based on
user demand
Built on a solid base of world-leading
underpinning science (HCCP)
Developed alongside our weather service and
building on existing service delivery capability:
a seamless weather and climate
service
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12. Climate Service UK event
• Formal event held in London on 3 June 2013
• Speakers included Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, WMO
Deputy Secretary-General, industry, and CEs of Met Office, NERC and EA
• Showcased examples of climate services:
• National Climate Information Centre
• Climate Science Research Partnership in Africa
• Met Service Singapore capacity building
• PRECIS
• Bangladesh project
• WFP Food Security
• Expert advice (Knowledge Integration team, consultancy projects)
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13. Collaboration with Met Service
Singapore (MSS)
•
•
•
A long-term partnership was initiated in 2011 between MSS and the Met
Office to strengthen Singapore’s weather and climate science capability.
Singapore and SE Asia are highly vulnerable to climate variability and
change and extreme events including flooding from intense storms and
storm surges, land loss from sea level rise, heat stress.
Expertise developed by the Met Office is helping Singapore to assess risks
faced by the country and the wider South East Asia region.
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14. Collaboration with Met Service
Singapore (MSS)
Collaboration focussed on:
1. Building climate modelling capability through PRECIS system
2. Coordinated climate analysis and modelling with ASEAN Met Services
3. Vulnerability to climate change
4. Seasonal forecasting
5. Tropical, high-resolution NWP (SINGV)
6. Dispersion modelling, with a focus on haze
7. Training workshops
8. Joint scientific papers
9. Exchange of scientists
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15. US-UK Collaboration on climate
services
• UK Science and Innovation Network (Houston) assistance
• To strengthen US-UK cooperation in developing technical
advances and products in climate services
• For agriculture and food security
• Specific activities:
• Workshop on agriculture and food security to strengthen engagement
between providers and users, and better understand user needs
• Research exchange visits before and after the workshop to create
sustained product development
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16. Summary
• A climate service is the provision of climate information to
assist decision-making
• The service is based on scientifically credible information and
expertise and must meet the user’s needs
• Major international activities underway (GFCS and CSP)
• European landscape is complicated
• Climate Service UK will help decision-makers manage
risks and opportunities in the UK and abroad
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17. Questions
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