Invitation to contribute to the GFCS session

In Europe a number parties (as NMHS’s, Universities, Consortia) started to develop – in the context of GFCS - climate services to support countries and regions in (climate) vulnerable areas outside Europe. Especially to create synergy and (new) collaborations it is of mutual interest to inform each other on ongoing initiatives and activities. For this purpose the session offers a platform and you are kindly invited to inform us by means of an oral or poster contribution to this session.

GFCS - background

Recognizing the demand for and benefits of climate services, Heads of State and Government, Ministers, and senior officials from over 150 countries and 70 organizations attended the 2009 World Climate Conference – 3, where they established the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS). The GFCS seeks to identify user needs, bring the providers and users of climate services together, develop capacity for using climate services, and build operational climate services that can assist decision makers to reduce vulnerability and adapt to climate impacts in the initial priority areas of agriculture and food security, water, health and disaster risk reduction.

The GFCS is a global partnership of governments and United Nations and international agencies that produce and use climate information and services. The World Meteorological Organization is leading the initiative in collaboration with UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the UN Development Programme, and others. These international partners are pooling their expertise and resources in order to design and produce knowledge, information and services that support effective decision-making. By combining their diverse but mutually supportive mandates and skills, the GFCS partners are playing a vital role in catalyzing international cooperation and assisting the countries to develop capacities through high-profile projects.

The GFCS has a three prong implementation approach with global, regional and national focus. The global level provides climate prediction products and maintains standards, while the regional focus is on promoting capacity development beyond single nations and the national level focuses on tailoring information products to meet user demands in support of climate-smart solutions.

To address the entire value chain for the effective production and application of climate services, activities and projects under the five main components or pillars nned to be implemented:

• The User Interface Platform — to provide ways for climate service users and providers to interact to identify needs and capacities and improve the effectiveness of the Framework and its climate services;
• The Climate Services Information System — to produce and distribute climate data, products and information according to the needs of users and to agreed standards;
• Observations and Monitoring – to generate the necessary data for climate services according to agreed standards;
• Research, Modelling and Prediction — to harness science capabilities and results and develop appropriate tools to meet the needs of climate services;
• Capacity Building — to support the systematic development of the institutions, infrastructure and human resources needed for effective climate services.

The GFCS is underpinned by 8 guiding principles for the implementation, being:
• High priority for the needs of climate-vulnerable developing countries
• Primary focus is the better access and use of climate information by users
• Framework will address needs at three spatial scales: global, regional and national
• Climate services must be operational and continuously updated
• Climate information is primarily an international public good and governments will have a central role in the Framework
• Framework will encourage global, free and open exchange of climate-relevant data
• Framework will facilitate and strengthen - not duplicate
• The Framework will be built through partnerships