WMO Workshop on Global Review of Regional Climate Outlook Forums
Regional Climate Outlook Forum (RCOF) is a platform that brings together national, regional and international climate experts and stakeholders’ representatives from countries with common interests to provide climate predictions based on input from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), regional institutions, WMO Regional Climate Centres (RCCs), Global Producing Centres for Long Range Forecasts (GPC-LRFs) and other climate prediction centers. RCOFs were initiated in late 1990s under the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Climate Information and Prediction Services (CLIPS) project in collaboration with NMHSs, regional institutions and other international organizations. First established in 1996 at a Meeting in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, RCOFs gained momentum as a regional response to the major 1997–1998 El Niño event, since then RCOF concept has spread worldwide. RCOFs are widely recognized to be key elements in the implementation of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS). As of date, the RCOF concept has completed 20 successful years of implementation, with 19 forums operational around the world.
Since the establishment of RCOFs the WMO has been actively supporting their operations, and conducting periodic expert review of RCOFs operation in order to identify gaps and challenges and propose way to improve and standardize the RCOF process. On the occasion of the RCOF concept completing two decades of successful implementation, WMO is organizing an International Workshop on Global Review of RCOFs, hereafter called Global RCOF Review 2017, to undertake a comprehensive review of the RCOF process, examining all aspects of the interpretation, creation and dissemination of regional climate outlooks as handled through the RCOFs, particularly in the light of the recent achievements and given the higher expectations and requirements of stakeholders in more actionable climate information tailored to their needs. The Global RCOF Review 2017 is built upon two similar reviews that were conducted in 2000 in Pretoria (South Africa), and in 2008 in Arusha (Tanzania), and will provide an opportunity to evaluate the development of RCOF concept since the last review.
Documents
RCOFs Status reports
- Association of Southeast Asian Nations Climate Outlook Forum (ASEANCOF)
- Central American Climate Outlook Forum (CACOF)
- Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF)
- East Asia winter Climate Outlook Forum (EASCOF)
- Forum on Regional Climate Monitoring, Assessment and Prediction for Regional Association II (FOCRAII)
- Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF)
- Mediterranean Climate Outlook Forum (MedCOF)
- North Eurasian Climate Outlook Forum (NEACOF)
- Polar Arctic Regional Climate Outlook Forum (PARCOF)
- Pacific Islands online Climate Outlook Forum (PICOF)
- PRÉvisions climatiques Saisonnières en Afrique centrale (PRESAC)
- PRÉvisions climatiques Saisonnières en Afrique, pays du Golfe de Guinée (PRESAGG)
- PRÉvisions climatiques Saisonnières en Afrique du Nord (PRESANORD)
- PRÉvisions climatiques Saisonnières en Afrique Soudano-Sahélienne (PRESASS)
- Southern African Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF)
- South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF)
- Southeastern Europe Climate Outlook Forum (SEECOF)
- Southeast of South America Climate Outlook Forum (SSACOF)
- Southwest Indian Ocean Countries Climate Outlook Forum (SWIOCOF)
- Western Coast of South America Climate Outlook Forum (WCSACOF)
Presentations
Setting the scene
- Global RCOF Review, R. Martinez (CIIFEN)
- RCOF operational practices: Towards objective seasonal forecasting, R. Kolli (WMO)
- GPC-LRFs, RCCs and their role in RCOF operations: Current status and future prospects, C. Coelho (CPTEC)
Review of RCOFs around the world
RA I (Africa)
- Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF), G. Artan (ICPAC)
- Central Africa, Sudano-Sahelian Africa, Gulf of Guinea, A. Kamga (ACMAD)
- AGRHYMET role in the PRESASS and PRESAGG processes in West Africa, B. Traore (AGRHYMET)
- Northern Africa (Prévisions Climatiques Saisonnières en Afrique du Nord: PRESANORD), K. Kabidi (DMN, Morocco)
- Southern African Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF), F. Nsadisa (SADC-CSC)
- South West Indian Ocean Climate Outlook Forum (SWIOCOF), F. Bonnardot (Météo-France/La Réunion)
RA II (Asia)
- East Asia winter Climate Outlook Forum (EASCOF), Y. Mochizuki (TCC, Japan)
- Forum on Regional Climate Monitoring, Assessment and Prediction for Regional Association II (FOCRAII), Z. Gong (BCC, China)
- South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF), D. S. Pai (IMD, India)
RA III (South America)
- Southeast of South America Climate Outlook Forum (SSACOF), M. Etala (Argentina)
- Western Coast of South America Climate Outlook Forum (WCSACOF), R. Martinez (CIIFEN)
RA IV (Northern America, Central America and the Caribbean)
- Central American Climate Outlook Forum (CACOF), B. Olmedo (RCHR)
- Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF), A. Trotman (CIMH)
RA V (South-West Pacific)
- Association of South East Asian Nations Climate Outlook Forum (ASEANCOF) (RAII+RAV), T. Turkington (MSS, Singapore)
- Pacific Islands Climate Outlook Forum (PICOF), A. Montoro (SPREP)
RA VI (Europe)
- North Eurasian Climate Outlook Forum (NEACOF) (RAII+RAVI), V. Khan (NEACC)
- Mediterranean Climate Outlook Forum (MedCOF) (RAVI+RAI), E. Rodriguez (AEMET, Spain)
- South-East European Climate Outlook Forum (SEECOF), B. Bijelic (SEEVCCC)
Arctic (RAII/RAIV/RAVI)
- Pan-Arctic Regional Climate Outlook Forum (PARCOF), B. Denis (ECCC, Canada)
Synthesis of RCOF Operational Practices
- Development of consensus based outlook including data/forecast inputs, R. Martinez (CIIFEN)
- Understanding sources of predictability, A. Brookshaw (ECMWF-C3S)
- Downscaling techniques and tools, J. P. Ceron (CCl)
- Climate monitoring, Climate Watch Advisory, E. Rodriguez (AEMET)
- Forecast Verification, S. Mason (IRI)
- Capacity development activities in RCOFs: current practices and possibilities for centralized training workshops, W. Thiaw (NOAA)
- Regional user engagement, sector-focused RCOF sessions, user applications and evaluation, P. Ramirez (CCl)
- Coordination mechanisms: role of Regional Climate Centres, A. Kamga (ACMAD)
- Sub-seasonal updates to RCOF products, A. Trotman (CIMH)
Towards improved and sustained RCOF processes
- Good practices in RCOFs, summarizing SWOT analysis, A. Tait (NIWA)
- The role of co-production in RCOFs: Toward usable climate services, M. Daly (ULeeds)
- Improved/standardized format of seasonal outlook statements, D. S. Pai (IMD)
- CCl Expert Teams' guidelines to help improving RCOF process, R. Martinez (CIIFEN)
- Global Seasonal Climate Update: Current status and future prospects for RCOF applications, A. Brookshaw (ECMWF-C3S)
- LC LRFMME operation, access to products for RCOFs, K. H. Cho (KMA)
- Copernicus Climate Change Service (ECMWF-C3S): potential role in RCOF process, A. Brookshaw (ECMWF-C3S)
- Regional approach for implementation of Climate Services Information System, R. Kolli (WMO)
- NCOF concept: scaling down RCOF outlooks for decision making at national scale, G. Srinivasan (RIMES)
- Mobilizing resources to sustain the RCOFs through funding mechanisms, R. Martinez (CIIFEN)
Breakout Sessions
- Breakouts Sessions instructions, S. Mason
- Roles and operations of GPCLRFs in support of RCOFs and in introducing objective approaches to RCOF products, Moderator: C. Coelho, Rapporteur: Z. Gong
- Roles and operations of RCCs in support of RCOFs, including capacity development and updates between RCOF sessions, Moderator: A. Trotman, Rapporteur: V. Khan
- Role of NMHSs in the follow-up integration of seasonal outlooks in decision making process at country level, Moderator: G. Srinivasan, Rapporteur: M. Etala
- User engagement in RCOFs, Moderator: M. Daly, Rapporteur: P. Luganda
- Expanding RCOFs portfolio, Moderator: J. P. Ceron, Rapporteur: T. Turkington
Useful links