Since 2012, Météo-France in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has been defining, organizing and hosting the “Climatology, foundation for climate services” training. On an annual basis, this training offers to any National Meteorological and Hydrological Service (NMHS) the latest state of the art technologies and best practices in climatology. English and French sessions are provided. The objective is to allow NMHSs or other organizations to give the most appropriate and qualified answers to the end-users community.
During two weeks, the course gathers more than twenty international trainers, experts in their respective domain, to teach and provide practical work on the end-to-end chain from the data measurement to climate services.
Benefits:
Capacity building of National Meteorological and Hydrological Service (NMHS) in Climate services component.
Activities:
Education and training on 8 topics:
1. Introduction, background information
* Climatology: its objectives, its resources, the state of knowledge;
* The international and regional climate programs;
* The tasks and missions of a national center for climatology.
2. Meteorological observations and data quality
* Observations (surface and remote sensing). Inventory and ideas to find data;
* Quality and importance of metadata;
* Data Rescue.
3. Data acquisition
* From the sensor to the Database;
* Overview of different data formats that a climate service can use and manage (ASCII, BUFR, GRIB, NETCDF, TAC, TDCF).
4. Data management tools
* Database management system
* Statistical tools
* GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
5. Data control
* Surface data series traditional control;
* Combination of different data types (surface and remote sensing);
* Homogenization.
6. Data generation
* Different methods of data generation, including interpolation methods.
7. Standard products
* OMM-100 products overview - Climathèque/ Climascope/ Clisys tutorials;
* The climate indices.
8. Models and climate
* Presentation of different avalaible models;
* Reanalysis;
* Downscaling;
* Seasonal forecasts;
* Climate change.
Objectives:
This training session aims to update the necessary knowledge to carry out various operational tasks of a national climate office in the context of climate change. The topics covered in this course follow the WMO guidelines with a focus on climate data management and key applications.
Deliverables/Outcomes:
* Program and agenda of each session;
* Summary of the courses with position and expertise of the trainers;
* Training course materials;
* Summary of the training attendees: NMHS or organization names, attendees percentage of LDCs, SIDSs, Land Locked, Developing Countries;
* Training certificates for the attendees.
Risks:
The success of such training depends on:
* The adequacy between the training subjects provided and NMHSs needs;
* The expertise of the available trainers and the quality of practices;
* NMHS trainees profile and motivation;
* The quality of the overall management and logistic of the training.
Resource requirements:
Meteo France resources:
* The National Meteorological School;
* The Climatology Department;
* The International Affairs Department;
* The Observation System;
* The Information Technology Department;
* The National Research Center.
Other organization resources:
* OGC Met Ocean Domain working group.
* Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture (IRSTEA), France;
* University “Rovira I Virgili”, Center for Climate Change, Torragona, Spain.
WMO resources:
* WMO Data Management Application Division resource
* Education and Training Office
* WMO Technical Commissions and particularly the Commission for Climatology
Indicators and assessment measures:
Analysis of each training session with indicators, assessment measures, possible improvements and operational climate services put in place in NMHSs after the training. It includes:
* During the training: feedback based on immediate reactions of the trainees;
* At the end of the training: on the spot evaluation questionnaire of the trainees also with the evaluation questionnaire of the trainers and managers;
* After the training: a delayed assessment carried out between 6 to 12 months following course completion.
