World Weather Open Science ConferencePalais des Congrès, MontréalJamie Smith, jamie.smith@ec.gc.caMeteorological Service of CanadaAugust 19th 2014

Implementing the Global Framework for Climate Services in Canada: A National

Effort to Assess Capacity

Presentation Outline

• Introduction• Methodology• Initial Results of the Assessment• Conclusions and Next Steps• Q&As

Definitions: Climate Services and Adaptation

Climate Services refers to:– The timely production and delivery of

useful climate data, information and knowledge to decision makers through effective engagement and follow-through.

Climate Adaptation refers to:– Adjustment in natural or human systems

in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.

Canada’s Climate Service Challenge …A large country with a modest tax-base

• Meteorological-related hazards account for vast majority of economic and social losses

• Vast area of responsibility means a significant challenge to be an effective Service

• Country of significant weather & climate extremes

• Little infrastructure North of 60

• Shared responsibility

Impacts of a changing climate are already evident

Reduced glacier cover affecting westernwater and hydro

resources

Impact of permafrost

degradation on infrastructure

Increased frequency of drought affecting forests, agriculture

Reduced ice cover affecting economic development and traditional ways of life

Increased pest (pine beetle)

and fire activity

Lower Great Lake water levels affecting shipping, hydro, recreation

Changing animal distributions affecting country food supply

Sea level rise and increasedcoastal erosion affecting infrastructure

Reduced reliability of ice roads to access remote mine sites and northern communities

Health issues due to heat stress and vector-borne diseases

• The climate is changing and will continue to change for decades to come – regardless of greenhouse gas reductions

• Climate has changed and will continue to change

Initial Stakeholder: Scoping Exercise

Key Challenges•Gaps Exist for both Current and Future Water and Climate Information

•Barriers Exist that limit Users’ Access to Water and Climate Information

•Barriers Exist that limit Users’ Understanding of Water and Climate Information 

Recommended actions at a National Level to Improve the Use of Water and Climate Information for Adaptation•Undertake a more fulsome assessment of future data needs and availability of data and services (mapping)

•Investigate the potential for a “single” window access point/portal for Canadian water (both quantity and quality) and climate information

•Inventory of existing tools, access and services, methods and approaches for using the water and climate information.

•Development of stronger documentation for climate and water products

•Examine training opportunities and needs (e.g. using climate scenario data).

Rationale/Method• Canadians’ demands for more comprehensive and accessible services are increasing.

• Federal government is only one of many climate services providers and users; understanding the state of climate services in Canada requires a collective look at services across the country.

• Conduct an exercise to map existing climate services at the national level

• Results will be useful to understand what and how climate information is currently delivered in Canada in order to:

– Articulate gaps in services – better align our efforts and to eventually build a more efficient and coordinated service in

Canada– clearly articulate roles and responsibilities and work through partnerships to optimize the

services.

• Use the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) to define the water and climate services categories used for the exercise

Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS)

• Enable better management of the risks of climate variability and change and adaptation to climate change

Observations and Monitoring

Original – EC network Preliminary mapping results

Observations and Monitoring: Highlights• There are gaps in the current monitoring system; however a

full assessment of what is available is not yet complete; Federal government is investing in new capacity that is based upon assessment (Network Design)

• There are opportunities to consolidate monitoring information in Canada:

– Several federal organizations are critical to observations and monitoring, and could be consolidated (FGP-Federal Geospatial Platform)

– Several provinces and volunteer networks are contributing significantly, and consolidation/Merging data sets would be beneficial (Networks of Networks)

– Some private companies are also potential partners (e.g. WeatherFarm has over 1000 stations, providing considerable support for Agriculture in the West.)

– Universities are making modest contributions in terms of coverage but essential for innovation

• Different user needs with varying data standards are used in Canada for diverse applications and purposes, and need to be considered in the development of monitoring and dissemination of data

• Gridded datasets, satellite, and models can offer an alternative to station based data

National scopeThe Canadian Network for the Detection of Atmospheric ChangeRéseau canadien en modélisation et diagnostics du climat régionalThe Canadian Network for Regional Climate and Weather ProcessesInternational Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI)

The North / Cold RegionsArcticNetCanadian Sea Ice and Snow Evolution NetworkNorthern Climate Change NetworkChanging Cold Regions Network (CCRN)

FederalEnvironment CanadaFisheries & OceansNatural Resources Canadian Space AgencyAgriculture and Agri-Food CanadaHealth CanadaPublic Health Agency of CanadaAboriginal Affairs and Northern DevelopmentNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

OURANOS

----PARC, PRAC----

OCCIAR, OCC

PCIC PICS

Research, Modeling and Prediction

The Community Collaborative Rain Hail and Snow Network

Academic Institutions

Other Relevant Organizations

Regional Climate Consortia

Research Collaboratives

Private Companies

LEGEND

Hydro, Mining, Smelting, Power, Forestry, Telecom, and Agricultural interests.

Federal Organizations

AMEC

Consultants

Supercomputer

Research, Modeling and Prediction: Highlights• There is a growing demand for climate model and prediction products at all timescales (past,

present and future)

• Federal organizations, regional climate consortia, and academia (including research collaboratives) are key to the participants - Provinces/territories are less implicated.

• There is a growing role for private consultants, particularly where climate consortia are not established, and the resource development industry (oil, gas, electricity) are also making significant contributions.

• Defined suite of climate modelling products that best meet the broad range of user needs is required

• National information inventory on climate research activities (institutions/groups, research areas/projects, climate research funding mechanisms, and opportunities for collaboration) would facilitate research

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• Climate Service Providers– Federal, provincial, consortia, and private sector

• Climate Data Access Portals– EC National Climate Archive – official (legal) climate data

record for Canada (http://climate.weatheroffice.gc.ca/prods_servs/index_e.html)

– EC Adjusted and Homogenized Canadian Climate Data (AHCCD) –understanding climate change and long-term impacts (www.ec.gc.ca/dccha-ahccd)

– EC: global and regional climate projections –global and regional climate models (http://www.cccma.ec.gc.ca/data/data.shtml)

– EC Canadian Climate Change Scenarios – (http://www.cccsn.ec.gc.ca/?page=main&lang=en)

– EC Hydrometric Archive - water levels, streamflows data (www.wateroffice.gc.ca)

– Canada's Water InfoStream (Prov/Terr/Fed)– Water and Climate Adaptation Portal (TRCA)– PCIC's Tools and Data– Yukon Water, a compilation of water-related data for

Yukon

Climate Services Information System• Principal mechanism through which information about climate (past, present

and future) is routinely collected, stored and processed to generate products and services that inform decision-making processes

• Significant depth to climate information; however, the provision in Canada is largely organized by producer, not user, and is therefore highly fragmented.

• There are a multitude of access points to climate information with few linkages among them, making retrieval and application of comprehensive information very difficult.

• There are no national standards for climate data collection, and format, and no accreditation for climate service providers.

• Barriers Exist that limit Users’ Access to Water and Climate Information

• Barriers Exist that limit Users’ Understanding of Water and Climate Information 

• Climate Portal Prototype: Federal Pilot

Climate Services Information System: Highlights

• User interface platform is not necessarily an IT platform, can be face-to-face and bidirectional flow of information is critical component.

• Engagement - A number of direct user-producer relationships are well established:

– Adaptation Platform– FPT Adaptation Policy Committee– Regional Outlook Forums– ArcticNet– Region Bulletins (Great Lakes, Maritimes, Arctic?)– Federal-led workshops, meetings and events– Consortia-led meetings and events– Conferences

User Interface Platform

User Interface Platform: Highlights

• User Interface is about building relationships among producers, providers, and users of climate

• National engagement on climate adaptation, including climate services, is increasing thanks to new forums

• Natural Resources Canada, Environment Canada and ArcticNet continue to provide leadership and resources to promote user-consideration of adaptation.

• There are many climate information providers; finding ways to promote consistent messaging will be important.

• Credibility is fundamental to climate service provision and can be mutually developed through clearly defined roles, and transparent and effective communication of accurate, actionable information

• Capability to manage climate risk effectively:

– governance, management, human resources development, education and training, leadership, partnership creation, science communication, service delivery, resource mobilization and infrastructure.

• Domestic capacity is building…– Evidence of capacity building in all pillars of the GFCS

as noted from the analysis– Evidence of increasing collaboration and

communication among stakeholders (Adaptation Platform, others)

– Federal efforts with Adaptation Policy, outlook forums and bulletins, departmental climate risk assessments underway, and establishment formal agreements with partners for climate services

– Climate consortia and private sector strengthening capacity

Capacity Development

Conclusions

• We are entering uncharted territory… Consequences of future climate change on Canada and globally are a significant cause for

concern. Canadians’ demands for more comprehensive and accessible services are increasing.

Canadians do not currently receive equitable levels of service, notably in rural and marine Canada and in the North.

• Federal government is only one of many climate services providers and users; understanding the state of climate services in Canada requires a collective look at services across the country.

• The Assessment to date has highlighted a number of strengths, weakness and opportunities for improving climate services in Canada, however we are well positioned to move forward:

Identifying gaps in service and areas where services can be optimized by reducing duplication.

Creating a common understanding of water and climate services that will form the basis of improved coordination, and may facilitate enhanced governance.

Identifying opportunities for improved sharing of climate information and products, such as data from distinct observation networks currently not shared among providers.

Page 17 – January 22, 2011

From EC:Sharon Ribero, Grace Koshida, Olivier Gagnon, Giselle Bramwell, Sharon Stone, Marjorie Shepherd, Chris Doyle, Rick Fleetwood, Chantale Cote, Louise Bussieres.Atlantic Provinces:Adam Fenech, UPEI ClimateWilliam Green, Nova Scotia EnvironmentQuebecAlain Bourque et Diane Chaumont, OuranosOntarioAllan Douglas, Ontario Centre for Climate Impacts and Adaptation Resources

Prairies ProvincesDavid Sauchyn, Prairie Adaptation Research CollaborativeBob Savage, Alberta GovernmentVirginia Wittrock, Saskatchewan Research Council

British ColumbiaFrancis Zwiers, Director, Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium

Yukon, NWT and NunavutColleen Healey, Nunavut GovernmentLacia Kinnear, Yukon CollegeBrian Sieben, NWT Government

A very big thank you to all the contributors

Thank You To provide input to the National Climate Services Summary

Please contact :Jamie Smith (jamie.smith@ec.gc.ca)

Or Grace Koshida (grace.koshida@ec.gc.ca)

QUESTIONS?