ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

On Sunday, January 19, I blogged about volcanoes. Now let me blog about another area in which scientific knowledge combined with remote sensing technology and computer power can contribute significantly to development. I find applied meteorology and climatology to be prototypical as an area in which K4D approaches would improve donor efforts to assist developing nations, but for which there appears little recognition nor support.

Perhaps a place to start this blog entry is:

The Environmental and Social Impacts Group of the National Center for Atmospheric Research:
http://www.esig.ucar.edu/

and especially its section on the
Economic Value of Weather and Climate Forecasts: Case Studies
“Recent case studies of the economic value of weather and climate forecasts which were not included in the book “Economic Value of Weather and Climate Forecasts:
http://www.esig.ucar.edu/HP_rick/esig.html

The point is that improved information about atmospheric events has economic value, when people know how and have the opportunity to utilize the knowledge to modify their activities appropriately. Thus, “Improved long-range forecasts of El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) from the National Weather Service can result in an economic benefit worth $100-$125 million per year to the agriculture sector in the southeastern United States.” (http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/pr95/apr95/econo2.html) Another “study found that the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere (TOGA) climate research program provides an economic return on investment to the United States of at least 13 to 26 percent annually. And that range is conservative because it only includes benefits to the U.S. agricultural industry.” (http://gtresearchnews.gatech.edu/newsrelease/ELNINO.html)

If more evidence is needed, go to the Climate Information Project recent information page: http://www.cip.ogp.noaa.gov/rcp/a/content/cip/most_recent_noimage.php
And more generally, CIP
http://www.cip.ogp.noaa.gov/

So where does one get information on El Niño / La Niña?

El Niño Theme Page
Of the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/elnino/nino-home.html

Or the NOAA Office of Global Programs ENSO web site:
http://www.ogp.noaa.gov/enso/

And some projects in the area showing what can be done:

Radio and Internet for the Communication of Weather and Climate for Development
RANET seeks to make climate and weather related information more accessible to rural populations and communities. It provides a radio-internet pathway between scientific results and individuals in remote locations for whom "early warning" information might matter tremendously. The program currently operates in Africa and is exploring appropriate roles in Asia and the Pacific.
http://www.ranetproject.net/index.html

The Famine Early Warning System
FEWS NET seeks to strengthen the abilities of African countries and regional organizations to manage risk of food insecurity through the provision of timely and analytical early warning and vulnerability information.
http://www.fews.net/
http://www.fews.org/

Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Global Climate Change
“The project's overall objective is to support Caribbean countries in preparing to cope with the adverse effects of global climate change (GCC), particularly sea level rise, in coastal and marine areas through vulnerability assessment, adaptation planning, and capacity building linked to adaptation planning. More specifically, the project will assist national governments and the University of the West Indies Center for Environment and Development (UWICED) to: (i) strengthen the regional capability for monitoring and analyzing climate and sea level dynamics and trends, seeking to determine the immediate and potential impacts of GCC; (ii) identify areas particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change and sea level rise; (iii) develop an integrated management and planning framework for cost-effective response and adaptation to the impacts of GCC on coastal and marine areas; (iv) enhance regional and national capabilities for preparing for the advent of GCC through institutional strengthening and human resource development; and (v) identify and assess policy options and instruments that may help initiate the implementation of a long-term program of adaptation to GCC in vulnerable coastal areas.“
http://www.cpacc.org/

Some other interesting and related sites are:

The World Climate Research Program
A joint program of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), The International Council for Science (ICSU), and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)
http://www.wmo.ch/web/wcrp/wcrp-home.html

WMO
http://www.wmo.ch/wmo50/

ICSU
http://www.icsu.org/

IOC
http://ioc.unesco.org/iocweb/

And, for still more links:
http://climate.snu.ac.kr/clivar/ol.html