From 08 - 11 September 2015, a GFCS Observation Workshop took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.The workshop aimed at compiling an overview of information and data required for specific sectors as well as overviewing already existing data.
The WMO-led Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) aims to enable society to better manage risks and opportunities arising from climate variability and change. Emphasis is put on developing and incorporating science-based climate information and prediction into planning, policy and practice. Hereby systematic observations of climate variables are fundamental. In this context, a GFCS Observation Workshop took place in Central Asia, bringing together regional stakeholders of the three GFCS priority areas Health, Water, and Disaster Risk Reduction as well as international experts.
The workshop was organized in the framework of the Capacity Building and Twinning for Climate Observing Systems (CATCOS) project, which aims at improving the capacity to systematically observe climate-relevant data in countries where data are limited. CATCOS is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and coordinated by MeteoSwiss. Implementation is done in close collaboration with Swiss partners (PSI, Empa, University Fribourg, and University Zurich).
The workshop aims at compiling an overview of observation requirements for climate services for Central Asia in three user sectors Health, Water, and Disaster Risk Reduction. Opportunities for data management and exchange as well as innovative observation strategies will be identified, prioritized, and discussed. Finally, the workshop contributes to strengthen the collaboration between the five Central Asian countries (Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan).