Distr.

LIMITED

FCCC/CP/1999/L.4/Add.1

BNJ.99-657

2 November 1999

Original: ENGLISH

CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

Fifth session

Bonn, 25 October - 5 November 1999

Agenda item 4 (h)

• The purpose of these guidelines for reporting on global climate observing systems for Annex I and, as appropriate, non-Annex I Parties to the Convention, is to assist Parties in reporting their actions with regard to global climate observing systems, development of observational networks and, as appropriate, support for non-Annex I Parties to the Convention, as defined in Articles 4.1(g) and (h), 5 and 12.1(b) of the Convention.

• The information identified in these guidelines shall be communicated by the Party in a single document and submitted to the Conference of the Parties through the secretariat, and shall be in one of the official languages of the United Nations. Parties may include a reference to a national focal point and/or web site where additional copies may be obtained. The length of the report may be decided by the submitting Party but every effort shall be made to avoid
  
  

BNJ.99-657

over-lengthy reports. Parties also should provide an electronic version of their reports to the secretariat.

• Parties shall describe the status of their national programme for systematic observation to meet the needs for meteorological, atmospheric, oceanographic and terrestrial observations of the climate system as identified by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS)⁽¹⁾ and its partner programmes in line with Article 5 of the Convention. A list of the technical acronyms used in these guidelines is given in appendix 1.
  
  
• In describing their national programme, Parties should, where relevant, report on the following:
  
  
  • Existing national plans and their availability, the time frame for their

implementation and specific commitments to address GCOS requirements;⁽²⁾ Parties should also list and describe the responsibilities of the ministries and agencies, including space agencies, responsible for implementing the plans;

• Parties may, if they so wish, provide additional information to that sought in

the guidelines, including maps of networks and participation in other relevant programmes, such as the Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS).

• Parties should describe the extent to which national data on systematic observations are exchanged with other Parties and provided to international data centres. Parties should describe any barriers to the exchange of data or provision of data to international data centres. Parties should, as necessary, describe any national policy or guidance relevant to the exchange of data relevant to meeting the needs of the UNFCCC.

• Parties should describe actual and/or planned activities for capacity-building in developing countries related to collection, exchange and/or utilization of data to meet local, regional and international needs.
  
  
• Parties should describe actual and/or planned actions since the publication of the previous national communication to strengthen international and intergovernmental programmes related to global climate observing systems.
  
  

• Where information required in these guidelines cannot be provided, Parties should report on any difficulties encountered, needs that should be met to facilitate improved reporting, and steps taken to improve availability of information.
  
  

• Parties shall, to the extent possible, describe their participation in GCOS, through their provision of meteorological and atmospheric observations including: the GCOS Surface Network (GSN),⁽³⁾ GCOS Upper Air Network (GUAN)⁽⁴⁾ and Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW).⁽⁵⁾ Parties should describe to what extent the observations correspond to the GCOS/GOOS/GTOS climate monitoring principles (appendix 2) and relevant best practices.⁽⁶⁾
  
  
• In describing their national programmes, Parties should, where relevant, report on the following: international data exchange; the provision of metadata to the World Data Centres; and participation in, and support for, international quality control and archiving programmes.
  
  

1. Parties should, in order to facilitate integration of national reports, complete table 1.

	GSN	GUAN	GAW	Other*
How many stations are the responsibility of the Party?
How many of those are operating now?
How many of those are operating to GCOS standards now?
How many are expected to be operating in 2005?
How many are providing data to international data centres now?

Note: * Provide brief details

1. Parties shall, where relevant and to the extent possible, describe their participation in GCOS and GOOS through their provision of oceanographic observations⁽⁷⁾ including, for example, sea surface temperature, sea level, temperature and salinity profiles, energy and carbon flux data. Parties should describe to what extent the observations correspond to the GCOS/GOOS/GTOS climate monitoring principles (appendix 2) and other relevant best practices.
   
   
2. In describing their national programmes, Parties should, where relevant, report on the following: international data exchange; and their participation in, and support for, international quality control and archiving programmes.

1. Parties should, in order to facilitate integration of national reports, complete table 2.
   
   

	VOS	SOOP	TIDE GAUGES	SFC DRIFTERS	SUB-SFC FLOATS	MOORED BUOYS	ASAP
For how many platforms is the Party responsible?
How many are providing data to international data centres?
How many are expected to be operating in 2005?

Note: See appendix 1 for explanation of acronyms

1. Parties should describe their participation in GCOS and GTOS programmes for terrestrial observations⁽⁸⁾ including the Global Terrestrial Network - Glaciers (GTN-G),⁽⁹⁾ Global Terrestrial Network - Permafrost (GTN-P),⁽¹⁰⁾ and the Global Terrestrial Network - Carbon (FLUXNET),⁽¹¹⁾ and other networks monitoring land-use, land cover, land-use change and forestry, fire distribution, CO₂ flux, and snow and ice extent. Additionally, a general description of programmes for hydrological systems should be given. Parties should describe to what extent the observations correspond to the GCOS/GOOS/GTOS climate monitoring principles

(appendix 2) and relevant best practices.

1. In describing their national programmes, Parties should, where relevant, report on the following: international data exchange; the provision of metadata for these networks; and participation in international quality control and archiving programmes, including hosting international archiving and/or quality assurance and quality control centres.

1. Parties should, in order to facilitate integration of national reports, complete table 3.

	GTN-P	GTN-G	FLUXNET	Other
How many sites are the responsibility of the Party?
How many of those are operating now?
How many are providing data to international data centres now?
How many are expected to be operating in 2005?

1. Parties should, where relevant, provide information on their participation in national and international space-based observing programmes or programmes using satellite data to derive climate-related information.
   
   
2. Parties should include the following information: summary description of space series, missions, and/or instruments; mechanisms for access to data and products by intermational programmes in relation to climate change; mechanisms for archiving, quality assurance and quality control; major domains of applications (atmosphere, ocean, terrestrial); and prospects for long-term continuity, including expected overall lifetime of observational programme. Parties should describe to what extent the observations correspond to the GCOS/GOOS/GTOS climate monitoring principles (appendix 2) and relevant best practices.
   
   
3. Where space activities are undertaken jointly with other Parties or multinational bodies, Parties should either list participating Parties or should refer to the report of another Party in which the information can be found.
   
   
4. Parties should include in their reports information on climate-related space activities in which the private sector is partly or wholly involved.
   
   

ASAP Automated Shipboard Aerological Programme

FLUXNET Global Terrestrial Network - Carbon

GAW Global Atmosphere Watch of WMO

GCOS Global Climate Observing System

GOOS Global Ocean Observing System

GSN GCOS Surface Network

GTN-G Global Terrestrial Network - Glaciers

GTN-P Global Terrestrial Network - Permafrost

GTOS Global Terrestrial Observation System

GUAN GCOS Upper Air Network

ICSU International Council for Science

IGBP International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme

IGOS Integrated Global Observing Strategy

IOC Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO

SFC Drifters Surface Drifters

SOOP Ship of Opportunity Programme

Sub-SFC Sub-surface

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

VOS Volunteer Observing Ship

WCRP World Climate Research Programme

WHYCOS World Hydrological Cycle Observing System

WMO World Meteorological Organization

WWW World Weather Watch of WMO