RA VI Management Group meeting
Under the direction of the newly elected president of RA VI, the Management Group met with a slightly revised membership and discussed a number of important issues pertaining to RA VI. The main points of the meeting are listed below.
The dates for the upcoming RA VI Session were deliberated, considering Resolution 48 (CG-19). The meeting reached a consensus to set the dates for the session as follows: the first phase would be held online in October 2024, and the second phase would take place in person in October 2026.
As per WMO General Regulations 138, the RA VI president will notify the WMO President about this consultation to ensure that the dates and location of the upcoming RA VI session suit the WMO President.
WIGOS implementation: The Concept Note for Regional WIGOS Center was approved by the Management Group, and the RA VI president will inform prospective RWCs when it is time to formally apply to become a Regional WIGOS Centre in RA VI.
In this connection, Members of RA VI are encouraged to explore the inclusion of the 63 additional stations currently operated by RA VI, as reported in OSCAR Surface today, when establishing WIGOS centers, as these stations are vital for forecasting, research, and climate change context, especially in understanding the global implications of Antarctica's ice sheets.
The RA VI Rapporteur on High Mouintains and Polar Areas will take the opportunity of the upcoming EC Panel on Polar and High Mountain Observations, Research, and Services (EC PHORS) meeting, in February 2024, in Oslo, Norway, to discuss with Member states operating stations in Antarctica related to the governance mechanism for Antarctica WIGOS stations.
EW4All implementation: The RA VI MG will regularly assess user needs for the WMO Integrated Processing and Prediction System (WIPPS) and communicate these requirements to the SERCOM biennially through the Rolling Review of User Requirements process, ensuring the inclusion of all stakeholders.
The RA VI Management Group (RA VI MG) was requested to define priority hazards as part of RBON (Regional Basic Observing Network) design, drawing from a list of priority hazards.
Taking into consideration the roadmap for implementing EW4All, the Management Group reached an agreement on a shortlist of Member states (specifically, 10 countries with the lowest GDP) to commence the assessment process in 2023. This roadmap will be integrated into the Association's Work Plan, and the Technical Coordination Committee will be duly informed during its upcoming meeting scheduled for October 17-19, 2023, in Geneva, Switzerland.
HydroSOS Implementation: The establishment of a HydroSOS team was approved, noting that HydroSOS is a priority of the RA VI for this intersession period. It was agreed to form it with experts from the WMO Experts Network.
As part of the implementation of the EW4All initiative in RA VI, the Management Group decided on a shortlist of Member states (ten countries with the lowest GDP) for which the assessment process would begin in 2023.
State of climate in Europe report: The Copernicus Climate Change Service has proposed a streamlined approach to the State of the Climate (SoC) reports, focusing on physical science and expanding its coverage to the entire RA VI region. The SoC report, coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), will shift its emphasis to extreme events, impacts, and climate policy and action, avoiding redundant efforts for experts. Both reports will be collaboratively prepared by the WMO and the Copernicus Climate Change Service, but final agreement on the SoC report's schedule, expected for completion in 2023, is still pending. The Management Group agrees with the streamlined approach and awaits updates on the 2023 report schedule.