World Meteorological Organization

ET-GCWEN will:
- ensure the access to a global network of expertize which to support the mandate of the Commission in effectively addressing the cryosphere domain of the expended World Weather Watch Programme and on ensuring that the results of the individual Standing Committees meet the technical and scientific level of excellence expected from WMO, across all time scales;
- serve as a mechanism for establishing and sustaining mutually beneficial collaborative engagements with relevant programmes, organizations, and partners in the cryosphere domain and in support of WMO goals;
- under the guidance of the Advisory Group on the Global Cryosphere Watch (AG-GCW) in coordination with the Standing Committees of INFCOM ET-GCWEN provide subject matter expert contributions for an effective representation of the cryosphere domain in the expended World Weather Watch programme, through the integration of cryospheric observations, data, information in WIGOS, WIS, and WIPPS, and in support of GCOS Implementation Plan and of other WMO activities relevant to the cryosphere, as necessary.

Based on the agreement between AG-GCW and the respective standing committees, task-oriented and time bound task teams will be established with experts from ET-GCWEN and which will be assigned to deliver specific results from the work plan of the Commission, focusing on snow, glaciers, permafrost and seasonally frozen ground, icesheets and ice shelves, sea-ice, icebergs, and freshwater ice (lake and rivers ice), as required.
ET-GCWEN will support the following results:
- WIGOS Rolling Review of Requirements (RRR) for the cryosphere domain (with SC-ON)
- The WIGOS Vision 2040 (with SC-ON).
- Cryosphere- specific actions from the GCOS Implementation Plan and as co-custodian of the Sea Ice and terrestrial cryosphere Essential Ocean Variables (EOV) based on the agreement with GCOS.
- WIGOS and WIS metadata and data standardization, terminology, and semantics, for the cryosphere domain (with SC-ON and SC-IMT).
- OSCAR/Surface, Regional WIGOS Centres, WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System (WDQMS): liaising with and support existing regional observing networks and programmes in polar and high mountain areas (with SC-ON).
- Engagements for observing activities on Antarctica (with SC-ON and the Antarctica Advisory Group)
- Improvements of the spatial and temporal resolution and coverage of cryosphere monitoring and the representation in the WMO Space Programme (with SC-ON).
- Harmonized Best Practices for the observation and measurement of cryospheric variables for publication in the WMO Guide for Instruments and Methods of Observation (WMO No.-8), based on the methods and practices in use, and make recommendations for potential intercomparisons and assessments (with SC-MINT).
- Access to cryosphere data through the WMO Information System (WIS2) and adherence to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) guiding principles for scientific data management and stewardship through an effective engagements with international research communities and programmes (with SC-IMT and Research Board (RB)).
- Implementation of the WMO Unified Data Policy for the cryosphere domain (SC-ON and Research Board).
- Integration of cryosphere in WIPPS and support the implementation of Polar Regional Climate Centres, e.g. Third Pole Regional Climate Centre -Network. (SC-WIPPS, RA II)
- Foster the strengthening of coordination between cryosphere monitoring and climate monitoring and prediction for providing a solid scientific basis for cryosphere disaster risk assessment and early warning, through recommendations on value-added products based on in-situ, space-based, and airborne observations, as well as models (across all SCs and the collaboration with RB)
- Develop and provide contributions to WMO publications e.g. WMO State of the Global Climate, regional Climate reports, a periodic Cryosphere Bulletin, GCW webpages, etc; e.g. anomalies, annual assessments, multi-dataset trackers, extreme events, etc.;
- Contribute to training and other capacity-building activities related to the cryosphere and in collaboration with relevant WMO substructures and partners (all SCs).

The team will engage experts from established programmes and networks, inter alia:
- International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS)
- Mountain Research Initiative (MRI)
- Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON) through the Arctic Data Committee and the Committee on Observations
- International Arctic Science Committee (IASC),
- Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR),
- Third Pole Environment (TPE),
- International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP) and the International Programme for Antarctic Buoys (IAPB),
- World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) through the Climate and Cryosphere (CliC), the International Network for Alpine Research Catchment Hydrology (INARCH) and Regional Hydroclimate Panels (GEWEX),
- Global Climate Observing Systems (GCOS) - Terrestrial Panel (TOP-C) Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P) and for Glaciers (GTN-G),
- World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS),
- Ocean Observations Panel for Climate (OOPC) of GCOS-GOOS-WCRP.
- International Ice Charting Working Group (IICWG),
The team will seek to achieve mutual benefits by liaising with communities of experts undertaking internationally funded projects of mutual interest e.g. EuroSnow, International Surface Working Group (ISWG), European Space Agency (ESA) - Climate Change initiative (CCI) snow, Pan-Arctic observing System of Systems (ArcticPASSION), the International Polar year, etc.