CORA closed at the end of 2021

CORA interacts across all WCRP bodies: the Core Projects and their International Project Offices (IPOs), the Working Groups and Grand Challenges, the Joint Scientific Committee (JSC) and the Joint Planning Staff (JPS).

Task Team on Regional Activities (TTRA)

The TTRA was appointed after the 40th session of the Joint Scientific Committee (JSC-40, May 2019) with the goal to propose implementing structures for activities on climate knowledge and information for regions and to develop a concrete work plan on how these will intersect with each other and with on-going WCRP activities while each pursuing its unique role. The TTRA would work within the context of the WCRP Strategy Plan 2019-2028 with particular emphasis on targeting Objective 4 “Bridging climate science and society”.

The TTRA was chaired by the leaders of CORDEX and the Working Group on Regional Climate (WGRC). Members included the leaders of the Grand Challenge on Extremes, JSC representatives and staff from CORA.

CORA assisted the TTRA by coordinating 10 videoconferences and the production of working papers. CORA carried out a consultation with service partners as well as a WCRP stakeholders stocktake, to provide overviews and insights to the TTRA.

The TTRA delivered an interim report to the JSC in its annual meeting in May 2020 (JSC-41). The JSC then instructed the TTRA to work on a science plan and structural elements for the new WCRP Home “Regional information for Society” (see below).

The TTRA delivered its recommendations for the new Home at the extraordinary meeting of the JSC (JSC 41b, see below). The task team was then disbanded in December 2020.

Home: Regional information for Society (RifS)

The chairs of the TTRA invited the scientific community, both within and outside WCRP, to participate in 3 videoconferences to discuss the scientific questions and structural elements of this new WCRP Home. The meetings were attended by 50+ participants.

CORA provided assistance through the organisation of the meetings, preparing agendas and minutes. The office, based on the previous work of the TTRA, put together a strawman for the RifS Home containing the strategic goals and high-level outcomes, relationships within and outside WCRP, structure, timeline, resources, gaps in knowledge and expertise, funding mobilization, and diversity. This document made the basis for TTRA´s recommendations for the new Home RifS to the JSC at its extraordinary meeting in December (JSC-41b).

WCRP Climate Research Forums

At the 41st session of the Joint Scientific Committee it was agreed to start a series of regional and community consultations with the aim of including underrepresented regions/countries across the globe to increase diversity in the co-production of the WCRP science. The consultations are carried out as Climate Research Forums (CRF), with the goal to exchange ideas, discuss new activities and opportunities being developed by WCRP, and explore ways the community of scientists, partner programs, funders and end-users of WCRP climate science can engage.

CORA provides assistance to the organization of these forums, together with the WCRP secretariat and the Core Project´s International Project Offices.

Forum of the WCRP secretariat and the International Project Offices (IPOs)

CORA participates in all monthly meetings arranged among the International Project Offices of the Core Projects (GEWEX, SPARC, CliC, CLIVAR), CORDEX and the WCRP secretariat in Geneva. This is an important forum for the exchange of information and discussion of pertinent administrative and strategic issues common to all offices. The forum will play a key role in the near future as the IPOs are envisioned to become increasingly involved in the implementation of the Lighthouse Activities. Minutes from the forum are available here.

WCRP Regional Activities Database (under construction)

CORA is currently putting together an interactive, online database with information on past and on-going WCRP regional activities. The database will help identifying regions for potential future activities. A first version will be available in the middle of 2021.