In news– The declaration released by the Global Climate Observing System conference has recently stated that Sustainable and long-term funding is essential to ensure the continuity and expansion of observations.
What is the Global Climate Observing System?
- The GCOS is co-sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (IOC-UNESCO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the International Science Council (ISC).
- It regularly assesses the status of global climate observations of the atmosphere, land and ocean and produces guidance for its improvement.
- GCOS expert panels maintain definitions of Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) which are required to systematically observe Earth’s changing climate.
- The observations supported by GCOS contribute to solving challenges in climate research and also underpin climate services and adaptation measures.
Note:
- GCOS conference was hosted by Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).
- Operational monitoring of the climate and detection of global climatic changes are the fundamental objectives of EUMETSAT.
- According to State of Global Observation Systems, 2021, the status of climate observation systems has not improved much in Africa, South America and Southeast Asia since 2015.
- GCOS Implementation Plan 2022, released by the WMO, also identified gaps in earth observations and areas that require improvement. The plan will be presented at COP27.
- The Global Climate Observing System programme (GCOS) has published The 2022 GCOS Implementation Plan and the 2022 ECV Requirements.
- The GCOS Implementation Plan (GCOS-244) is a response to the findings of the 2021 GCOS Status Report, implications arising from the IPCC 6th assessment report and recent scientific studies on the climate cycles.
- The publication provides recommendations for a sustained and fit for purpose Global Climate Observing System.
The European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)-
- It is an intergovernmental organisation created through an international convention agreed by a current total of 30 European Member States.
- EUMETSAT’s primary objective is to establish, maintain and exploit European systems of operational meteorological satellites.
- It is responsible for the launch and operation of the satellites and for delivering satellite data to end-users as well as contributing to the operational monitoring of climate and the detection of global climate changes.
- The activities of EUMETSAT contribute to a global meteorological satellite observing system coordinated with other space-faring nations.
Source: Down To Earth
