Climate Exchange

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special care to communicate the concept of probability effectively

to people who may be generalists or specialists in other fields. They

should also ensure that the information they generate is easily acces-

sible, whether via open websites or dedicated delivery channels.

As described by the articles in this book, governments in all

regions of the world are already providing, or preparing to provide,

a wide range of climate services. For example:

• Countries as diverse as Guinea-Bissau, India, Indonesia and Mali

are providing climate services to support agriculture and food

security. They are carrying out programmes to inform farmers

about climate impacts while also seeking feedback from these

users on how best to design climate information products for

agriculture.

• The Ethiopian Meteorological Organization is adopting modern

climate forecasting methods and enhancing the quality of the

climatology information that it offers. It plans to increase access

to climatology and forecast information related to agriculture,

aviation, water, health and energy.

• The North American Drought Monitor, prepared jointly by the

United States, Canada, and Mexico, illustrates how individual

nations can work together at the regional level to provide

climate services. The Monitor is a first step in a larger effort to

improve the monitoring and assessment of a suite of climate

extremes on the continent, including heat waves and cold waves,

droughts and floods, and severe storms.

• The German Heat-health Warning System is demonstrating how

climate and health services can collaborate on protecting human

health in anticipation of an expected increase in the number of

heat waves.

• Every month, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology provides a

forecast of the likely shifts in temperature and rainfall for the

coming three months, giving the ‘probability’ or ‘likelihood’

that rainfall or temperature will be above the long-term median.

To make this product as user-friendly as possible, the Bureau

conducted market research by interviewing internal experts and

high-level external users and then conducting an online survey.

• A demonstration project in Armenia aims to reduce the vulner-

ability of mountain forest ecosystems to climate change. The

project is assessing current observation systems and databases,

observed and projected climate changes, and climate extremes

and climate risks. The goal is to improve seasonal predictions,

implement a Climate Watch System for forest fire, and integrate

climate change concerns into forest management.

• A number of countries are establishing climate websites to

improve access to climate information and services. Finland’s

site, for example, provides information on climate change

science and on practical means for mitigating and adapting to

climate. France’s site provides regional scenarios for the country

and seeks to link the users and providers of this information.

The Global Framework for Climate Services

The Global Framework for Climate Services is an initiative of the

United Nations system that seeks to build on and strengthen these

national programmes and services. It was launched in 2009 by the

World Climate Conference – 3 as a global partnership of govern-

ments and organizations that produce and use climate services. The

GFCS enables researchers and the producers and users of informa-

tion to join forces to improve the quality and quantity of climate

services worldwide, particularly in developing countries.

The GFCS takes advantage of the continued improve-

ments in climate forecasts and climate change scenarios

described earlier to expand access to the best available

climate data and information. Policymakers, planners,

investors and vulnerable communities need this infor-

mation in user-friendly formats so that they can prepare

for expected trends and changes.

The GFCS is based on eight principles:

• Give a high priority to the needs of climate-

vulnerable developing countries

• Put the primary focus on better access to and use of

climate information by users

• Address needs at three spatial scales: global, regional

and national

• Ensure that climate services are operational and

continuously updated

• Recognize that climate information is primarily

an international public good and that governments

will have a central role in the Framework

• Encourage the global, free and open exchange of

climate-relevant data

• Facilitate and strengthen – do not duplicate

• Build climate services through partnerships.

To succeed, the GFCS must, above all else, be driven

by the needs of users. Lessons already learned from

existing climate services make it clear that engaging

the health, water, disaster and agriculture communi-

ties requires supporting the existing priorities and

work plans of these sectors. Climate service providers

also need to respond to the very specific needs of the

distinct user groups within each of these broad sectors.

National capacity building is also essential to ensuring

that people fully understand the climate products and

can apply climate information effectively.

The GFCS actively encourages governments to promote

a broad exchange of views about how to tailor climate serv-

ices. It advocates interdisciplinary collaboration between

government agencies, private companies and research

institutions, and it promotes collaborative problem-solv-

ing and ‘learning from others’. Building trust with other

sectors will encourage data sharing and make it easier to

assemble multidisciplinary datasets and products.

While climate services will build on and link together

existing capacities and programmes, funding will clearly

remain a critical issue. Dependable funding is needed to

sustain national monitoring and information infrastruc-

ture, from satellites and weather centers to databases

and trained personnel. Long-term operating and

maintenance costs also need to be secured. The GFCS

therefore informs the international donor community

about the benefits of climate services and encourages it

to support national programmes and services.

The GFCS is clearly an ambitious initiative. Its

success will be measured by its ability to establish an

effective and sustained global partnership, strengthen

national and regional climate services, and empower

people around the world to adapt and respond to the

impacts of climate variability and climate change.

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