About Us

 The Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) programme of WMO is a partnership involving the Members of WMO, contributing networks and collaborating organizations and bodies which provides reliable scientific data and information on the chemical composition of the atmosphere, its natural and anthropogenic change, and helps to improve the understanding of interactions between the atmosphere, the oceans and the biosphere.

GAW focal areas are Greenhouse Gases, Ozone, Aerosols, Selected Reactive Gases,Atmospheric Deposition (or Precipitation Chemistry) and UV Radiation. GAW supports the WMO GAW Urban Research Meteorology and Environment (GURME) project and works together the Group of Experts on Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) as well as provides Sand and Dust Storms Warning (SDS-WAS). GAW recently initiated development of the system that will use observations of greenhouse gases and inverse modelling techniques to support climate mitigations (Integrated Global Greenhouse Gas Information System;IG3IS).

 

GAW is considered the atmospheric chemistry component of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS).

Organizational components and structure of the Programme are presented under "Structure".

The GAW Programme operates according to the GAW Implementation Plan 2016-2023.