World Meteorological Organization

Core activities:
- Develop an Implementation Plan to establish and execute the GAFIS initiative following its stated near-term and mid-term objectives;
- Facilitate the development of good practices for air quality forecasting and monitoring services including their presentation and evaluation utilizing diverse approaches;
- Carry out and maintain a survey of regional and global air quality forecasting and information systems and identify regions with a lack of adequate air quality services;
- Support capacity building in areas with a lack of air quality services;
- Collect the user requirements for air quality services for different applications (human health, well-being, agriculture);
- Promote further development of the observational infrastructure required for operational air quality services and encourage quality control and provision of meta-data;
- Explore the potential of emerging data set such as low-cost air quality sensors or satellite retrievals from geostationary platforms for operational air quality monitoring and forecasting;
- Promote scientific and operational synergies of air quality forecasting integrated into Numerical Weather Prediction systems;
- Develop and implement a resource mobilization strategy to ensure continuity of the activities;
- Contribute to capacity building activities.

Interface within Scientific Advisory Groups
- Work closely with SAG-App and SAG GURME on the definition of user- and science-driven metrics for air quality evaluation;
- Closely collaborate with thematic SAGs on cross-cutting issues concerning air quality forecasting.

Interface within Expert Teams
- Work closely with ET-ACNDE on the development and documentation of the user and technical observational requirements for Air Quality services (timeliness, access).
Interface within Steering communities
- Collaborate with MMF-GTAD on cross-cutting topics between AQ information systems and deposition product services.

Interface within WMO
- Contribute to WMO regulatory processes (Technical Commissions) on AQ forecasting topics such as data format standards, data dissemination and warning procedure protocols;
- Collaborate with WWRP and WGNE on operational applications of atmospheric composition feedbacks in Numerical Weather Prediction;
- Collaborate with the Study Group on Integrated Health Services under the Technical Commission on Services in areas related to air quality.
Interface with external community
- Facilitate close cooperation for the implementation among operational service providers (e.g. CAMS), semi-operational (e.q. MAP-AQ, SDS-WAS) and research efforts (e.g. PREFIA, PAPILA);
- Engage with the user community to understand the requirements for air quality services (e.g. AQ indicators for human health, air quality regulation for the protection of crops) and co-design new integrated applications to meet their needs.