Background
The SBSTA requested the secretariat to organize, before SBSTA 32 (June 2010) and under the guidance of the Chair of the SBSTA, a technical workshop on how regional centres and networks undertaking work relevant to climate change could collaborate, with a view to:
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Providing information on the use of different methods and tools for various users and types of assessment;
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Enabling users to share information on different methods and tools, including details on their application, limitations and usefulness for different types of tasks and users;
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Facilitating a dialogue between users and developers of methods and tools to encourage the development and application of more demand- and stakeholder-driven methods and tools;
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Enabling users to exchange good practices and lessons learned in accessing and applying data;
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Promoting a dialogue between the providers and users of data in order for providers to better meet the needs of different users;
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Disseminating good practices and lessons learned in the development and application of methods and tools;
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Providing information on available climate models, scenarios and downscaled projections, including on their application, limitations and usefulness for different purposes and geographical areas;
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Facilitating feedback between users and providers of climate models, scenarios and downscaled projections, in order to enable or enhance the development and to improve the usability of regional climate models and scenarios.
The workshop enabled around 60 representatives from Parties, relevant organizations, regional centres and networks, communities, and experts, to share climate data and information available in the public domain, exchange views on climate data and information needs within the context of adaptation planning, and possible roles of regional centres and other knowledge intermediaries in improving the provision, dissemination and application of climate data and information.
The workshop was held under the Nairobi work programme work areas of: Methods and tools; Data and observations; and Climate modelling, scenarios and downscaling. Objectives of these work areas, as contained in the annex to decision 2/CP.11, are to advance sub-themes:
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a (i), "Promoting development and dissemination of methodologies and tools for impact and vulnerability assessments, such as rapid assessments and bottom up approaches, including as they apply to sustainable development";
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a (ii), "Improving collection, management, exchange, access to and use of observational data and other relevant information on current and historical climate and its impacts, and promoting improvement of observations, including the monitoring of climate variability";
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a (iii), "Promoting the development of, access to, and use of information and data on projected climate change"; and
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b (i) "Promoting the development and dissemination of methods and tools for assessment and improvement of adaptation planning, measures and actions and integration with sustainable development".
Final agenda (140 kB)
Report on the technical workshop
Presentations
Session 1 - Introduction
Session 2 - Stocktaking
Session 3 - Methods and tools
Session 4 - Data and observations
Session 5 - Climate modelling, scenarios and downscaling