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The development of the
Global Framework for Climate Services
Geoffrey B. Love, Director of the Weather and Disaster Risk Reduction Services Department
of the World Meteorological Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
A
n independent high-level Taskforce established by
the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has
concluded that the widespread, global use of improved
climate services, provided through the recently established
Global Framework for Climate Services, would provide substan-
tial social and economic benefits. The Taskforce argues that the
Framework presents an important, cost-effective opportunity
to improve well-being in all countries through contributions to
development, disaster risk reduction and climate change adap-
tation. A global mobilization of effort and an unprecedented
collaboration among institutions across political, functional
and disciplinary boundaries is required and the Taskforce
believes that the Framework can foster and guide this effort.
Use and users of climate information
Climate and society
The effects of climate are strongly linked to and superimposed on exist-
ing vulnerabilities, especially poverty. The poor have fewer financial and
technical resources available to help themcope with climate risks and are
often also heavily dependent on climate-sensitive resources. Other social,
economic, cultural and political factors, such as social exclusion, inad-
equate social services and infrastructure and lack of access to important
resources, especially natural resources such as land and water, can exac-
erbate the vulnerability of certain groups. For example, women are often
particularly vulnerable to climate impacts due to their responsibilities in
the home and their limited access to information, resources
and services. Other groups, such as farming communities,
the elderly, the disabled and the geographically remote, may
also be particularly vulnerable.
Recent advances in climate knowledge
The Earth and its climate are now understood to be a
complex system. Computers, observation and telecommu-
nication systems, remote sensing, mathematical models
and mapping software provide tools that are helping to
unravel the complexity of this system and answer impor-
tant practical questions concerning future risks and
management responses. Climate statistics are increas-
ingly being complemented by innovative riskmanagement
approaches. Through scientific development and high
quality data sets, such phenomena as the workings and
impacts of the El Niño system have been revealed, and the
implications of increasing concentrations of greenhouse
gases on the climate system are being realized.
Making decisions and adding value
Many sectors, including agriculture, water manage-
ment, energy, transportation and disaster management
make strong use of climate data, both for planning and
for routine operations. Cost-benefit studies indicate
that significant benefits are being generated from using
climate information, both at enterprise level and on the
sectoral and public scales. This is underlined by the fact
that some sectors and larger companies operate their own
in-house services to monitor and predict climate-related
impacts. It is also indicated by the growth of commercial
services to meet demands for tailored products, particu-
larly for the agriculture and energy sectors. At the same
time, there is worldwide recognition that the benefits
derived from climate information depend on contin-
ued public investment in national data acquisition and
archiving, knowledge development and research serv-
ices, as well as on open exchange of information.
Components and structure of the Global
Framework for Climate Services
The Taskforce has proposed the following components
for the Framework:
• The User Interface Platform provides a means for
users, user representatives, climate researchers and
2029c
A schematic view of some of the processes and interactions that
comprise the climate system
Source: WMO