Consultation Workshop on User Interface Platform for Health and Disaster Risk Reduction

Consultation Workshop on User manage their risks and take advantage of the sectors as priority areas for which climate Interface Platform for Health and opportunities associated with the climate, and services are to developed. Existing climate (iii) there is a significant gap between the needs services are not well focused on user needs Disaster Risk Reduction Sectors for climate services and their current provision, across these areas and the level of interaction within the Global Framework for particularly in places that need them most: among providers and various users is inadequate. Climate Services climate-vulnerable developing countries. Present capabilities to provide climate services do not The User Interface Platform Concept Note exploit all that we know about climate, fall far short of meeting present and future needs, and The structure of the GFCS proposed by the high- Background are not delivering their full potential benefits. level taskforce includes five pillars (User Interface Platform; Climate Services Information In 2009, Heads of States and Governments, System; Observations and Monitoring; Research, Ministers and Heads of Delegation representing Modeling and Prediction; and Capacity more than 150 countries, 34 United Nations building). Organizations and 36 Governmental and non- Governmental international organizations present The User Interface Platform (UIP) is essentially at the Third World Climate Conference (WCC – concerned with bridging the gap between climate 3) unanimously adopted a Declaration information providers and users. It is intended to establishing the Global Framework for Climate clarify user requirements; improve climate Services (GFCS) to strengthen the production, services including through sector- and user- availability, delivery and application of science- specific applications of climate information and based climate prediction and services. service delivery tools; develop and implement standards and good practices for the interaction Acting on WCC-3 Declaration, a taskforce of between providers and users; promote mutual high-level independent advisors was appointed Figure 1. Drought whose impact can be minimized by sharing of information and knowledge including through an intergovernmental process to prepare the use of climate services on providers’ and users’ capabilities and a report, including recommendations on the strengths; improve user understanding of climate proposed elements of the GFCS and the next The Sixteenth Session of the World products and information; collect and act on steps for its implementation. In its report Meteorological Congress (May 2011) endorsed 1 feedback from users for continual product released in May 2011 , the high-level taskforce the broad thrust of the HLT report, and set in improvement; and inevitably to facilitate (HLT) stressed that: (i) climate is a critical factor motion a process for the development of a draft improved decision-making or climate risk in sustainable development and in the lives and implementation plan for GFCS. management and adaptation in sectors and livelihoods of all people, particularly climate activities that are influenced by climate extremes that cause loss of lives and significant The GFCS is envisaged as a set of national, variability and change. The UIP also facilitates socio-economic impacts worldwide, but regional and international arrangements that will user liaison/engagement with the other overwhelmingly in developing countries; (ii) coordinate the activities and build on existing components of GFCS, as required. where they exist, needs-based climate services efforts to provide climate services that are truly are extremely effective in helping countries, focused on meeting user needs. To be useful, businesses, organizations and governments to climate information and services must be tailored Context to meet the needs of the users. The HLT The meteorological community has a long- 1 The High-level Taskforce report is available at : identified agriculture, water, health sectors as standing collaboration with national stakeholders http://www.wmo.int/hlt- well as disaster risk reduction (DRR) within all gfcs/downloads/HLT_book_full.pdf in health, DRR, and other sectors for the development of early warning systems (EWS), The proposed consultation workshop is targeted  Identify capacity development needs to with engagement of development and at key UN and international agencies and advance the access, interpretation and humanitarian agencies working in these areas. selected experts from the health sector and DRR use of climate information in the health The Bangladesh Cyclone Preparedness community. It is intended to facilitate discussion sector and DRR community, including Programme developed with the collaboration of of critical issues related to the production, the aspects of uncertainly; the United Nations Development Programme and availability, delivery and application of user-  Identify criteria for selection of high the International Federation of Red Cross/Red targeted climate services in these sectors with a priority projects to address major gaps at Crescent Societies and the establishment of view to develop a detailed set of regional and national levels in the health Climate and Health Working Groups in Africa to recommendations relating to the development of sector and DRR community to be initiate and build on the collaboration between the UIP to be considered for inclusion within the considered in the implementation plan of the health and climate communities are among draft implementation plan of the GFCS. the GFCS. such examples. However, issues such as the Climate Prediction Framework Expected Outcome understanding of meteorological warnings and Forecast Centuries information continue to pose hurdles that limit Scenarios Climate Change. Uncertainty Decades Identification of concrete projects on health and Anthropogenic effective use. Beyond EWS many other Forcing Outlook Years DRR to be included in the draft implementation

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plan, as part of the UIP of the GFCS to advance Months d Boundary a planning and financial risk transfer were Threats e L Conditions 2 Weeks Assessments t the use of climate information in decision s Weather a c 1 Week identified as areas that would require enhanced e Forecasts r making in the health sector and DRR decision o

F Initial Days climate services for improved multi-sectoral Conditions Watches making across sectors. Hours Warnings & Alert decision making. Constraints such as these will Coordination Minutes be addressed through the implementation of the Applications

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f Workshops f M a M A a A t t P P i i r r a a L L T T Adapted from: NOAA W On the other hand, recent advances in the W understanding of the climate system, aided by Figure 2. Framework for climate prediction and It is proposed that the workshop be co-hosted by advances in computing and telecommunications linkage with decision making the leading organizations dealing with health, DRR and climate services, namely IFRC, UN- allow, today, the production of climate services Specific objectives for time scales ranging from months to seasons ISDR, WHO and WMO. The tentative dates of to decades and longer time scales. These  Review the current status of, and critical 14 to 16 November 2011 are proposed. emerging services offer great opportunities for needs for climate services in the health improved planning/risk management among sector and DRR community at global, For more information please contact: many socio-economic sectors. The UIP aims to regional and national levels; ensure the realization of the full benefit of this  Identify decision making processes progress within the climate services. (including segmentation of the Mr Filipe D. F. Lúcio associated user groups), and the climate Head, Global Framework for Climate Services information required to assist these, in (GFCS) Office Purpose of the consultation workshops the health sector and DRR community; World Meteorological Organization The agriculture, water, health and DRR sectors  Assess the current status of interactions Tel: 41.22.730.8579 were identified as key priority sectors by the of the climate service providers with the Fax: 41.22.730.8037 high-level taskforce for the implementation of health sector and DRR community and Email: [email protected] the GFCS. identify the major areas for improvement;