Draft CORDEX White Paper open for comments

The CORDEX-SAT has developed a White Paper draft on Future Regional Scientific Challenges for CORDEX.
We hereby invite you to give your comments/thoughts on the draft before it is finalized and published.

This is the link to the document: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13nRdlwWEP-3-DRmazWruHWrfbMeoFmLV/view?usp=sharing

You can leave your comments in this Google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekAosAtJSqcY79PQCzmUxLehv0yj-EjNaJWeBeakM2jlNhsA/viewform

If you can´t access Google Drive please let us know and we will send you an excel spreadsheet for your comments.
ipoc@cordex.org

The deadline for comments is Thursday 2 July.

New co-chair and new SAT-members!

We are happy to announce that Daniela Jacob is new co-chair for CORDEX.
In addition we would like to warmly welcome Tereza Cavazos och John Cassano as new members of the Science Advisory Team.
With this we thank former co-chair Bill Gutowski and former SAT-member Anne Frigon for their valuable contributions to CORDEX.

To read more about the Science Advisory Team and all members click here

IPCC co-chair Panmao Zhai answers three quick questions on CORDEX/IPCC

 

  1. Why is CORDEX and the work carried out within the CORDEX framework important from an IPCC perspective?

CORDEX aims to develop and provide detailed, regional climate information necessary for vulnerability, impact and adaptation studies at local and regional levels. The aims of CORDEX fit perfectly for IPCC AR6, under the demands of governments for increased policy-relevant regional downscaled information, to fill the noted knowledge gaps in climate change hazards, risks and adaptation at the national, regional or even local levels.

 

  1. Could you give some examples?

To address and enhance the treatment of regional climate change issues, the structure of IPCC WGI AR6 has been designed to allow a detailed and comprehensive assessment of regional and sectoral-relevant climate information. Among 12 scoped chapters, we have three dedicated chapters linking global to regional climate change, weather and climate extremes and climate information for regional impact and risk assessment,. We also have an Altlas providing regional climate change information visually.

CORDEX supports IPCC assessment on coordinated regional climate change and extreme information. A comprehensive assessment of multiple sources of regional climate information, including downscaling methodologies is in great need in WGI AR6 report. Thus, outcomes from CORDEX, will be huge support to improve regional scale information not only on historical simulations but also on future climate change.

 

  1. What do you hope from the conference – what will it contribute to?

This main focus of the International Conference on Regional Climate (ICRC)- CORDEX 2019 including benefits of downscaling; further development of earth system models; the human factor, impacts and applications and knowledge exchange. Many of these can directly contribute to IPCC AR6, especially on downscaling impact and application, and updated knowledge exchange for various regions. Some others such as further development of earth system models can contribute to future IPCC activities. I hope the outcome of this conference can be published as soon as possible to support AR6 reports for WGI and WGII.

 

Conference on regional climate attracts scientists from over 70 countries

Press release

Photo: China National Convention Center (CNCC)

Next week, 14-18 October, almost 500 regional climate researchers, decision makers and users of regional climate information from more than 70 countries will gather for the 4th International Conference on Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (ICRC-CORDEX 2019) in Beijing, China. They will discuss regional climate research and share the latest progress on regional climate information for impact and adaptation planning.

The conference is organized by the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), which hosts the International Project Office for CORDEX (IPOC), in cooperation with the Chinese Academy of Science and The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP).

“Global Climate Models can provide us with projections of how the climate of the earth may change in the future. The impacts, however, of a changing climate, and the adaptation strategies required to deal with them, will to a large degree occur on more regional and local scales,” says Dr Iréne Lake, director for the International Project Office for CORDEX.

Regional climate downscaling has an important role to play by providing projections with much greater detail and more accurate representation of local extreme events. The results will also be prominent in the next assessment report currently in preparation by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

“Regional climate information can help us better understand how climate change affects different regions in various ways, and help end users like water managers in sub-Saharan Africa, city planners in Manila or forestry owners in Sweden to plan for the consequenses,” says Iréne Lake.

One of the CORDEX goals is to build the capacity on regional climate science and its use in developing and transition regions.

A number of Flagship Pilot Studies, addressing local and regional challenges, will be presented during the sessions. Also, a new climate adaptation game on Minecraft and on the web, developed by the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, will be demonstrated during the conference.

Read more about the conference on https://cordex.org/icrc-cordex2019/about/

Link to abstracts: https://cordex.org/icrc-cordex2019/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/10/AbstractBook_20191004.pdf

More information

For more information, please contact:

Iréne Lake, director, International Project Office for CORDEX (IPOC), SMHI

Email: irene.lake@smhi.se

Phone number +4611 4958319 – please note that Dr. Iréne Lake is available during office hours, Swedish local time

Erik Kjellström, Professor of Climatology at SMHI, attending the conference in Beijing

Email: erik.kjellstrom@smhi.se

Phone number: +4611 4958501

About CORDEX

The global collaborative initiative CORDEX aims to develop and provide detailed, regional climate information necessary for vulnerability, impact and adaptation studies at local and regional levels where climate change happens. CORDEX is working to meet the increasing need for reliable regional climate information communicated in a manner enabling efficient regional and local decisions on impact and adaptation planning.

CORDEX is a project of the World Climate Research Programme. The Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment Secretariat is located at the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Norrköping. The Science Advisory board consists of members from Argentina, USA, Canada, Germany, Australia, India, South Africa, China, Jamaica, Malaysia, Spain and Sweden.

About The International Conference on Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (ICRC-CORDEX 2019)

  • 14 – 18 October 2019, in Beijing, China
  • Almost 500 regional climate researchers, decision makers and users of regional climate information from more than 70 countries will gather.
  • The conference is organized by the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), which hosts the International Project Office for CORDEX (IPOC), in cooperation with the Chinese Academy of Science and The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP).

About The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)

SMHI is an expert authority with a global outlook and a vital mission to forecast changes in weather, water and climate. With a scientific foundation, we use knowledge, research and services to contribute to a more sustainable society. Every hour of every day, all year round.

SMHI. Always the best support for your decisions.