Links to other initiatives

partner

The WWRP exists to develop, share and apply knowledge that contributes to societal well-being. This aim is reached by helping to manage weather-related risks to save lives and property, but also by enabling individuals, businesses, and institutions to manage weather conditions and maybe even take advantage of opportunities afforded by them.

Fundamental aspects of this knowledge include an improved understanding of atmospheric processes that give rise to weather phenomena and an enhanced ability to predict weather events and their consequences with sufficient spatio-temporal precision, accuracy and advanced warning to support decisions. Most of the challenges that have to be tackled along this line are not only faced by WWRP but by a variety of other international bodies and organizations (Figure 10). Hence, the necessity of collaborative efforts and work on these challenges is obvious and will be further promoted by WWRP and its activities in the upcoming years.

In particular, some of these activities engage the International Council of Science (ICSU), through its co-sponsorship of the Global Climate Observing System and WCRP and its academic constituency. Strong links exist to the International Association for Meteorology and Atmospheric Science (IAMAS) and the International Association for Hydrological Science (IAHS). For instance, the new ICSU programme Integrated Research on Disaster Reduction (IRDR) and WWRP co-host a joint SERA working group of weather forecast products and services. Beside engagements in working groups, further links to the academic community are provided through the YESS community, a growing international and interdisciplinary network of Early Career Earth System Scientists that is jointly supported from WMO’s research arms WWRP, WCRP and GAW.

For improving the understanding of extreme events and their representation in models, and for building a seamless transition from weather to climate predictions, a close collaboration with WCRP, its experts and its Grand Challenges on “Understanding and Predicting Weather and Climate Extremes”, “Clouds, Circulation and Climate Sensitivity”, and “Regional Sea Level Change and Coastal Impacts” is crucial. Existing synergies when it comes to adaptation to weather and climate extremes, as well as the exploration of new data sources also calls for close collaborations of these communities. In addition, an active physics community is thriving through WCRP’s Global Energy and Water Exchanges project (GEWEX), which runs numerous projects typically bringing together observations and large-eddies to global model hierarchies for process understanding and parameterization development, eventually serving both weather and climate communities.

Exchange with experts from WMO’s Commission for Hydrology (CHy), UN Educational Science and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Hydrology panels or the UN International Groundwater Resources Assessment Center (IGRAC) will also be of importance for WWRP’s activities on improving modelling and prediction of the water cycle. Joint efforts could focus on the development of innovative observing techniques in data-sparse regions or the assessment of soil saturation and ground water and assimilation of such data. Progressing research on coupled models, with a focus on urban scales and prediction of impacts, will eventually serve both the weather and hydrological communities and hence is another topic that calls for closer collaboration.

The Working Group for Numerical Experimentation (WGNE) is very active in bringing together modelling centres, sharing progress and running projects to tackle problems of common interest. It also provides a vehicle to link expertise in weather and climate science that is becoming increasingly valuable to both communities. For example, as NWP models move towards coupled oceans, there is clearly much to be learned from experiences with coupled seasonal and climate models.

Urban prediction and air quality are in the focus of the GAW Urban Research Meteorology and Environment (GURME) Project. Joint collaborations and exchange on urban aspects will be strengthened further in the future, extensions into public health, transport and energy sectors are reasonable. The WMO Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System (SDS-WAS) is another proof for successful collaborations between WWRP and GAW. GAW’s expertise on atmospheric chemistry, aerosols, aerosol-cloud interaction and atmospheric deposition, as well as its strong observational component, makes them an ideal partner for further collaborations. These collaborations may cover the action areas on precipitation processes, observations network and data usage and activities in emerging countries, as well as coupled modelling aspects proposed in this WWRP IP.

Work on improving observations, developing new observing strategies and future global observing systems, but also on aspects of model development and data assimilation calls for establishing joint endeavours of WWRP and WMO’s Commission for Basic Systems (CBS). In the quest to promote research focused on improving the accuracy, lead time and utilization of weather prediction and end-user engagement, it is critical to ensure that the developed research applications become part of operational processes. To bridge the gap between research and operations, close collaborations between the CAS and CBS communities was suggested by WMO Congress in 2015. This decision triggered the process for the gradual establishment of a future enhanced integrated and seamless Global Data-Processing and Forecasting Systems (GDPFS). The main purpose of the GDPFS is to prepare meteorological analyses and forecast products and make these available to Members in the most cost-effective way to support research and operational needs. A contribution to the WIGOS 2040 vision, based on WWRP research achievements will support future development of the best possible Earth System Observing capabilities.

The CBS Severe Weather Forecasting Demonstration Project (SWFDP) is successful in strengthening capacity in NMHSs in developing and least developed countries including Small Island Developing States (SIDSs) to deliver improved forecasts and warnings of severe weather to save lives, livelihoods and property. The SWFDP is primarily built on the Global Data Processing and Forecasting System (GDPFS) programme, in collaboration with Public Weather Services (PWS) programme, and the Agricultural Meteorology (AgM) programme of WMO. Strong links between WWRP and SWFDP also already exist and should be enhanced in the future to ensure that research also reach the Members from developing countries.

The WMO Regional Programme (RP) supports the six WMO Regional Associations, which coordinates regional activities by identifying the needs of Members, establishing requirements for regional networks, planning and monitoring progress; organizing regional subsidiary structures and promoting regional partnerships. The cross-cutting RP provides two-way communication between Members and the Secretariat, facilitating expert assistance particularly for developing and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), SIDSs and Island Territories. Through this programme, WWRP can build partnerships with relevant regional and sub-regional organizations, inter-governmental and economic groupings. Success in following this proposed future roadmap of weather and environmental prediction challenges will depend on the collaboration, strength, commitment and excellence of the above-mentioned organizations, working groups and research programmes. The past track record provides a solid base for confidence.