11th IGOS Partners Meeting

11th IGOS PARTNERS MEETING

FAO, Rome

27th May 2004

Meeting Record
V1.1

11th IGOS PARTNERS MEETING

FAO, Rome

27th May 2004

Meeting Record

Table of Contents

1. Organisation of the session 3

2. Tenth sessions 3

3. 2nd EO Summit and GEO progress 3

4. IGOS Partner reports 6

5. Implementation of approved Theme reports 8

6. Themes for approval 15

7. Proposed themes and issues 17

8. Other IGOS activities 20

9. Any other business 23

10. Review of IGOS-P-11 actions 23

11. Chair arrangements for 2004/5 23

12. Date and venue of the next session 23

13. Closure of the session 23

A. Action item summary 24

B. Participants 26

1.  Organisation of the session

1.1  Opening of the Session

Dietrich Leihner (FAO) and Minister Xu Guanhua (CEOS/MOST-NRSCC) as Co-Chairmen welcomed the participants to the 11th IGOS Partners meeting.

1.2  Adoption of the agenda

The proposed agenda was adopted.

1.3  Working arrangements for the session

Jeff Tschirley (FAO) reviewed the working arrangements for the session.

  1. Tenth sessions

2.1  Review of minutes from the 10th sessions

The minutes of the 10th IGOS Partners meeting (Paris, 5th June 2003) and of the 10bis IGOS Partners meeting (Colorado Springs, 20th November 2003) were adopted without comment.

2.2  Review of action items from the 10th sessions

The status of the action items from the P-10 and P-10bis meetings was reviewed and agreed (refer to annex A here).

Regarding Action 10-9 (Co-Chairs to prepare a discussion paper by November 2003 on a strategy for emerging themes for IGOS. FAO agreed to host a workshop to further develop this topic if necessary), Jeff Tschirley (FAO) noted that, although FAO had prepared the required discussion paper, they proposed not to address this topic during the meeting due to time pressure on the agenda. FAO proposes that it be addressed at a future IGOS-P meeting, after the way forward on GEO is clearer.

  1. 2nd EO Summit and GEO progress

3.1  Reports

Chu Ishida (CEOS/JAXA) delivered a short statement from MEXT of Japan reporting the outcome of the GEO-4 and EOS-II meetings held in Tokyo on 22nd-25th April 2004. He reported that ministers and representatives from 43 developed and developing countries, EC, and 25 international organizations had participated in the Earth Observation Summit II. The Framework Document for a 10-Year Implementation Plan was adopted at the Summit. The plan itself will be presented at Earth Observation Summit III, in Brussels in February 2005. The Framework Document sets out the primary components of the 10-year Implementation Plan for Earth Observation. IGOS is expected to make a significant contribution to this important initiative, and should continue to be actively involved in this GEO process.

David Williams (CEOS/EUMETSAT) gave a report on behalf of the Implementation Task Team (IPTT) of GEO, including the following key points:

-  the IPTT is responsible for co-ordinating drafting of the GEO Implementation Plan;

-  3 main documents are under development for the 3rd EO Summit in Europe next February:

-  a communiqué;

-  a ‘short document’: comprising a 10 page implementation plan based on text contributed by the IPTT, but negotiated line by line at coming GEO-5 and GEO-6 meetings;

-  a ‘technical blueprint’ document (known as the ‘long document’ in IPTT): also based on IPTT texts; this document aims to provide credibility and more substance to the short document (this will not be negotiated in the GEO meetings)

-  the Implementation Plan is being structured around 9 selected social benefit topics: disasters, health, energy, climate, water, weather, ecosystems, agriculture, and biodiversity; topic
coordinators have been appointed for each and the GEO Sub-Groups are providing inputs too;

-  a writing meeting will be held in Washington DC on 10th-11th June 2004;

-  the GEO process is increasingly recognising the importance of progress founded on the existing work of IGOS-P; IGOS Partners are the principal source of information for 6 of the 9 topic areas (disasters, climate change (via GCOS/ WCRP), water, weather, ecosystems, and biodiversity) and additional expertise has been identified for the other three (agriculture, energy, health); (Jeff Tschirley (FAO) confirmed that FAO would be supporting the agriculture topic);

-  all current activity is driven by the fixed deadline of the EOS-III meeting – which is planned for 14th February 2005 in Brussels (the full timetable is shown below);

Activity Timeline for the Implementation Plan Task Team

-  the first review period by GEO will commence in the week of 19th July; the final version will be completed by 11th October and submitted for formal review by governments; at the invitation of the EC Co-Chair, the 4 GEO Co-Chairs will meet in Brussels on 27th-28th September to address the issue of ‘governance’ - the plan for an institutional framework after EOS-III.

3.2  IGOS-P Participation in GEO

David Williams (CEOS/EUMETSAT) noted the importance of the IGOS Partnership being pro-active in considering what role it might have in the future framework. Dietrich Leihner (Co-Chair) noted that the recent G3OS meeting had agreed that the G3OS sponsors would collaborate to develop a consensus statement on GEO governance in time for the Brussels meeting. Brent Smith (CEOS/NOAA) noted that it will be the governments involved in GEO which decide the way forward, and it is not yet clear how bodies such as CEOS and IGOS-P, as non-governmental organisations, would be reflected in the future framework; he encouraged IGOS-P to be pro-active in providing opinions in time for the GEO governance debate.

Minister Xu (Co-Chair) noted the common view of many Partners on the need for the Partnership to have a consolidated position on its role within the framework being planned within GEO. He invited IGOS Partners to a special strategy meeting – hosted by NRSCC in Beijing on Thursday 18th November 2004 and encouraged all Partners to send senior representatives to discuss this important topic. Steve Lonergan (UNEP) and Mark Churchyard (BNSC) both noted that, as in-coming IGOS-P Co-Chair agencies, they fully supported such a meeting.

Since inputs to the GEO governance meeting in September are due by 1st August, the Co-Chairs also accepted an action to develop an IGOS position ahead of the Beijing discussion.

Action / 11-1 / IGOS Co-Chairs, supported by IGOS SEC, to co-ordinate development of an input from IGOS Partners to the GEO Governance meeting in September / Draft by end June, reviewed by IGOS Partners by mid-July
(deadline 1st August)
Action / 11-2 / IGOS Co-Chairs, supported by IGOS SEC, to develop a strategy to prepare IGOS Partners for a meeting focusing on the IGOS strategy regarding GEO - on 18th November in Beijing / Draft by end June

It was agreed that the IGOS Co-Chairs should collaborate where possible with the G3OS Sponsors in providing inputs to GEO on governance by the 1st August deadline – in order to maximize the overall impact. Don Hinsman (WMO) suggested that action would be required in the immediate future in order to allow for review time by all IGOS Partners.

  1. IGOS Partner reports

4.1  G3OS Sponsors report

Dietrich Leihner (Co-Chair) reported on the 9th meeting of the Sponsors of the Global Observing Systems, held the previous day. The main issues of the meeting were:

-  a debate regarding the value of continuing the G3OS meetings; it concluded with agreement that the G3OS represented a valuable forum for discussion of joint action on strategic issues – particularly in relation to IGOS-P and GEO;

-  the Terms of Reference of G3OS will be modified to reflect this agreement;

-  the G3OS members expect to be particularly active in their co-operation during 2004-5 and will keep in regular contact – mostly via telecons and email; UNEP will be the Chair agency during this period;

-  the future of G3OS will be reviewed again at the 10th meeting – planned to be held in Nairobi in June 2005 – in light of the outcome of the GEO process;

-  UNEP will serve as the Chair agency for the G3OS process up to and including the 10th meeting in Nairobi;

-  WMO will serve as the Chair agency for the G3OS process after the 10th meeting and host the 11th session.

4.2  CEOS SIT report

Chu Ishida (CEOS/JAXA) gave a report on behalf of the SIT Chairman (Dr Yoji Furuhama). The main points were:

-  Carbon Theme: the SIT-14 meeting had made significant progress in clarifying the expectations for implementation of the Carbon Theme; an immediate way ahead had been agreed and CNES had volunteered to support the efforts aimed at completing the implementation scheme;

-  Water Cycle Theme: significant progress is being made – and the team has been encouraged to finalise details of the implementation framework and planning workshops (JAXA has offered to host one of the workshops in early 2005);

-  Geo-Hazards Theme: the SIT Chairman commends the Geo-hazards theme on emphasising a resourced and well-structured implementation framework and plan; excellent progress is being made;

-  Atmospheric Chemistry Theme: the SIT-14 meeting had reviewed the IGACO Theme team report and commended the team on their efforts in developing an excellent document; SIT endorses the IGACO Theme to move to implementation phase – anticipating confirmation of the membership, roles and responsibilities of the implementation team soon after approval of WMO’s role by its Executive Council;

-  Coastal Theme: the Coastal Theme team had postponed submission of their report for SIT and IGOS-P review. SIT-14 had encouraged the team to prepare a comprehensive Theme report which is fully compliant with the IGOS Process Paper and which outlines the specific roles, responsibilities, and resources planned for Theme implementation; it also recommended that the Coastal Theme Team input their draft Theme report to the GEO process, via the IPTT;

-  Land Theme: SIT-14 reviewed and endorsed the proposal for the establishment of a new Land Theme for IGOS; a number of CEOS agencies (USGS, NRSCC) offered to support the Theme development;

-  Cryosphere Theme: SIT-14 reviewed and endorsed the proposal for a new Cryosphere Theme for IGOS; however it was noted that the Theme proposal was not fully compliant with the IGOS Process paper on several counts, and the SIT Chair had recommended that, in further developing the proposal, the Theme team seek guidance from the IGOS Secretariat to ensure its compliance.

Chu Ishida noted that the SIT team planned to continue its very active style of inter-sessional support to the IGOS Theme teams - addressing the major space segment implementation issues.

4.3  GCOS implementation plan update

Paul Mason (GCOS) reported the status of the GCOS Implementation Plan development. The main points were:

-  the GCOS Second Adequacy Report was completed in April 2003 and presented to the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and WMO 14th Congress; the report concluded that achieving global coverage and climate-quality observations for the variables identified is essential to ensure that the needs of the UNFCCC and the IPCC for systematic climate information are addressed (the report is available at http://www.wmo.ch/web/gcos );

-  the COP-9 meeting charged GCOS with development of a phased 5- to 10-year implementation plan for integrated global observing systems for climate – drawing on the 2nd Adequacy Report and the views of the Parties; this plan is to be based on extensive consultations with a broad and representative range of scientists and data users and should be developed in close co-operation with GEO in development of their implementation plan;

-  implementation priorities emphasised by the document include: support for and institutionalisation of integrated products; key network establishment (and application of GCOS Climate monitoring principles in management); institutionalisation of data management;

-  the essential climate variables and integrated climate-quality products were explained (including their relation to IGOS Theme requirements);

-  the schedule for conclusion of the Implementation Plan was discussed:

-  the plan is available from: http://www.wmo.ch/web/gcos and comments should be submitted to by 9th July 2004 as per the above schedule.

All partners were encouraged to review and comment on the GCOS Implementation Plan. Josef Aschbacher (CEOS/ESA) recalled the discussion within CEOS SIT regarding GCOS climate data requirements and encouraged GCOS and WCRP to work together to ensure a single, consistent set of requirements.

Action / 11-3 / IGOS Co-Chairs to send a reminder to all IGOS Partners of the importance of review and comment on the GCOS Implementation Plan / End May
(Review closes 9th July)
  1. Implementation of approved Theme reports

5.1  Ocean

The Ocean Theme Team did not provide a report to the Partners meeting.

5.2  Carbon

Philippe Ciais (LSCE) gave an update on the status of implementation of the Integrated Global Carbon Observations Theme (IGCO):

-  the Carbon Theme report was published in April 2004;

the team recognises the need to accelerate the implementation progress – to keep pace with the policy initiatives underway – including within GEO; an outline implementation plan has very recently been started by the team;

-  a fundamental objective is improved co-ordination between the research (GCP) and systematic observations (IGCO) communities; the team is planning an adaptive strategy for implementation – reflecting the outcomes of new regional experiments;

-  the IGCO space observations implementation strategy comprises: a review of observational requirements (starting from IGCO report); confirmation of existing and possible new data products; continuity of key observations for monitoring land-cover, ocean & land biophysical properties, ecosystem disturbances; guidance on the transition from research to operational status of CO2 and biomass measurements from space over the next 10 years;

-  implementation of the broad range of in-situ observational requirements will be undertaken in conjunction with GTOS (for land), GOOS (ocean), and WMO/GAW (for atmosphere);

-  participation in the core group being proposed to handle IGCO implementation is progressing, including the following roles (confirmed participants are marked by *):

Institutional: [Steffen], Tschirley, Hood, TBD-UNFCC

Links with Research: Cannadell*, Raupach*