Geneva/Tromsø (19 January 2015) The World Climate Research Program (WCRP) is launching a Polar Challenge to reward the first team able to send an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) for a 2,000 kilometer mission under the sea-ice in the Arctic or Antarctic... read more

Welcome to Prof. Dr. Guy Brasseur as the new Chair of World Climate Research Programme Joint Scientific Committee (JSC) from 1st January 2015, and farewell to Prof. Antonio Busalacchi who finished his term with the end of 2014. The JSC, on behalf of the worldwide community of WCRP affiliated scientists, wishes to express its gratitude to "Tony" for his extraordinary active leadership in the last 6 years during which a highly successful Open Science Conference took place and the future directions of WCRP emerged in the form of Grand Challenges.... read more

The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), Max-Planck-Institute für Meteorologie (MPI-M), and Hans Ertel Centre for Weather Research announce the 1st Summer School on Climate Model Development hosted by the MPI-M, in Hamburg, Germany, from 15 to 26 June 2015. The School is open to graduate students and early career researchers in meteorology and associated fields. The application deadline is 28 February 2015; please turn to our on-line application system at this web site: http://schools.enes.org/WSSCMD1

A group of international experts convened in Pasadina, USA, to discuss the next steps in coordinating global and regional information on drought understanding, monitoring, forecasting and management. The International Global Information System (GDIS) Workshop: Next Steps was held from 11-13 December 2014 and featured a joint open session with representatives of the GEWEX Hydroclimatology Panel (GHP)... read more

We are pleased to announce that Peter H. Lauritzen from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, USA, has been awarded the WCRP/WWRP International Prize for Model Development 2014. The Prize Committee, consisting of representatives from WCRP, WWRP and WGNE was greatly impressed by his strong profile and the high quality of his contribution... read more

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) issues regular El Nino / La Nina updates based on observational monitoring of the current situation, seasonal predictions through climate model simulations and input from top international experts. This publication, however, aims to explain the phenomenon in its typical manifestation from the physical mechanism to the global impacts including socioeconomic implications. Reliable forecast of El Nino / Southern Oscillation are a good example of a climate service that helps communities to reduce vulnerability and adapt... read the brochure

Emerged from an open consultation process the document presents a framework for global change and sustainability agenda-setting for researchers and funders and identifies key priorities for the next 3-5 years. The strategic research agenda 2014 advocates a set of research priorities as well as a novel way of doing research which includes a strong emphasis on full integration among scientific disciplines... read more

In the wake of the Climate Symposium 2014, which united international experts in climate observations, research, analysis and modelling, Ghassem Asrar, former Director of WCRP and Alain Ratier, EUMETSAT Director General, share their highlights of the events in a recent article published in International Innovation. They both agree that the speakers and presenters at the symposium contributed significantly to its overall success... read the article

The 7th International GEWEX Conference held in The Hague, The Netherlands, in July 2014, attracted over 560 scientists, managers and students worldwide. The theme of the conference and the related topics dealt in the programme set the scene for extensive discussions on the science and implementation plans of the WCRP Grand Challenge on Water Availability. After the conference the Pan-GEWEX and Pan-CLIVAR meetings took place in the same venue thus stimulating joint sessions and cross interactions... read more

The Australian Department of Environment and Industry produced several animations for informing farms and food managers on the global climate processes that influence the local wet and dry seasons variability. These animations won the international prize for raising public awareness and trust in science... watch the short movies

A recent study published in Environmental Research Letters investigates the reliability of seasonal to multi-decadal climate simulations of the wet seasons of several key African regions. The group of researchers affiliated at the Met Office Hadley Centre found that reliability varies across regions and seasons and that simulations of precipitations are universally less reliable than simulations of temperature... read the article

 Dr. David Carlson, Director of WCRP and Ms Valery Detemmerman, Executive Director of International CLIVAR Global Project Office, visited the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) of China and met with Dr. Haiwen Zhang, Director General of International Cooperation Department, SOA. Dr Carlson and Ms Detemmerman introduced the WCRP and CLIVAR respectively and expressed their gratitude to SOA for the strong support to the IGCPO. Dr. Zhang introduced the Science Programme of SOA which relates to WCRP and CLIVAR scientific plans, she emphasized that SOA will continue to support CLIVAR and hopes to have more opportunities to cooperate with WCRP.

International CLIVAR Global Project Office (ICGPO) has been officially operating at the First Institute of Oceanography (FIO), State Oceanic Administration (SOA), in Qingdao, China, since September 1st, 2014. Qingdao is sometimes referred to as the ocean science capital of China, with four major oceanographic institutions in addition to FIO: OUC (Ocean University of China), IOCAS (The Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences) nad YSFRI of CAFS (Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences). With the generous support of SOA, China, four officers are on location at the ICGPO: Valery Detemmerman as Executive Director of the ICPO, Dr. Nico Caltabiano, previously with the ICPO in Southampton, Dr. Lei Han, physical oceanographer from FIO and Ms Lina Kang, administrative assistant. The staff are busy preparing for the upcoming CLIVAR SSG meeting in Moscow, input to the new CLIVAR Science Plan and for a major conference in 2016.... read more

SMHI has been chosen as the host of the new International Project Office for Regional Climate Modelling, more specifically for CORDEX. The Office will support the development of climate models and projections of future climate, facilitate cooperation among countries in regions, and promote knowledge exchange and capacity building with particular focus on developing countries... read more

Arctic and Antarctic weather and climate prediction and predictability issues are high up on the polar (research) communities' agenda. To help connect sending and receiving parties, a dedicated electronic mailing list tailored to people interested in Arctic and Antarctic prediction and predictability is being set up by CliC and the Polar Prediction Project... read more

After establishing the new globally distributed secretariat, Future Earth is seeking an Executive Director to provide leadership for the programme. The new Director will head the secretariat and will work closely with the scientific community, stakeholders, and members of the Future Earth governance structure. The closing date for receiving applications is 13 October 2014... read more

The WCRP Climate and the Cryosphere (CliC) project and the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) invite applications for a permanent position as Executive Officer for CliC International Project Office. The work place is the Norwegian Polar Institute in Tromso, Norway and the Executive Officer is expected to integrate into and actively interact with the cryosphere research community at NPI. The application deadline is 7 October 2014... read more

In recognition of the essential role model development plays to weather and climate science, the WCRP and WWRP are establishing the “WCRP/WWRP International Prize for Model Development”. The deadline for nominations is 15 November 2014... read more

WCRP is pleased to announce that the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) has been selected as the host for the new International Project Office for CORDEX (IPOC). The CORDEX IPO is now looking for dedicated staff to support the CORDEX activities and establsh the linkages with the CORDEX science community... read more

SOLAS is calling for nominations to its International Scientific Steering Committee (SSC). The SSC sets the scientific direction and priorities of the project and is supported by the SOLAS International Project Office in its tasks. Members are appointed for a 3-year term and meet in person once per year... read more

Are humans changing the length of the agricultural growing season or the number of extreme weather events? Are temperature and precipitation swings in one region of the world related to those in another? These are among the real-world research problems young scientists examined at the first WCRP-ICTP Summer School on Attribution and Prediction of Extreme Events... read more

Thanks to all who attended and contributed to the 7th International Scientific Conference on GEWEX. Over 560 scientists, managers, and students from 45 countries attended the Conference which addressed research on water resources, extremes in water such as droughts and floods, and new analysis from observations and data sets. There were 436 posters covering the topics of the conference... read more

Professor Tim Palmer, former co-chair of CLIVAR SSG, has been honoured in this year's Institute of Physics Awards for the development of probabilistic weather and climate prediction systems. Awarding Professor Palmer the Dirac Medal 2014, which recognises outstanding contributions in theoretical physics, is a recognition of the importance of the fields of weather and climate for all sections of society... read more

CliC and the International Permafrost Association are seeking inputs from the community for identifying the top priorities in permafrost research. The process will span much of 2014 and will result in a short publication. The document shall become the benchmark against which permafrost research should be gauged starting in 2015... Click Here to the survey and background informationz

Future Earth will have a new secretariat with a unique and innovative structure that spans three continents. The preferred bidders comprises five global hubs which will function as a single entity, and are located in Canada, France, Japan, Sweden and United States. This includes a series of regional hubs, from which it is expected new regional networks will develop, these covers, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, Europe and Asia. The secretariat will support five core functions: coordination, communication and outreach, research enabling, capacity building, synthesis and foresight... read more