GEWEX and WCRP

GEWEX is a core project of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), which is organized as a network of core and co-sponsored projects, working groups, and cross-cutting initiatives that study issues related to the predictability of climate and the impact humans have on the climate.

GEWEX works closely with WCRP and partner organizations. Collaborative work between organizations helps to push scientific frontiers forward.

WCRP’s Core Projects

The other WCRP core projects are CLIVAR, CliC, and SPARC. Each of the core projects has some degree of overlap. CLIVAR is most strongly associated with regional climate information, sea level rise and regional impacts, and science underpinning the prediction and attribution of extreme events. The foci of CliC are in the areas of cryospheric monitoring, process studies, data management and access, and modeling. SPARC coordinates international efforts to bring knowledge of the stratosphere to bear on relevant issues in climate variability and prediction.

WCRP’s Working Groups

The activities in support of WCRP Integrating themes are carried out by ad hoc working groups:

• The WCRP Modelling Advisory Council (WMAC) coordinates high-level aspects of modeling across the WCRP, ensuring cooperation with main WCRP partners such as IGBP and WWRP
• The WCRP Data Advisory Council (WDAC) acts as a single entry point for all WCRP data, information, and observation activities and coordinating their high-level aspects across the WCRP, ensuring cooperation with main WCRP partners such as GCOS and other observing programmes.
• The Working Group on Coupled Modelling (WGCM) coordinates WCRP modeling activities and organizing numerical experimentation for the IPCC assessments
• The WCRP Working Group on Regional Climate (WGRC)’s mission is to prioritize and coordinate regional climate research within WCRP and serve as the conduit for two-way information exchange between WCRP and the various institutions and coordinating bodies that provide climate service including the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS)
• The Working Group on Seasonal to Interannual Prediction (WGSIP) develops a program of numerical experimentation for seasonal-to-interannual variability and predictability
• The Working Group on Numerical Experimentation (WGNE) fosters the development of atmospheric circulation models for use in weather, climate, water and environmental prediction on all time scales

WCRP’s Grand Challenges

WCRP’s six Grand Science Challenges, listed below, represent major areas of scientific research, modelling, analysis, and observations for WCRP and its four core Projects in the ensuing decade. The Challenges will yield information on climate change that is relevant to society. GEWEX contributes to all the Challenges, but is the lead within the four core Projects for Water for the Food Baskets of the World and Weather and Climate Extremes.

• Melting Ice and Global Consequences
• Clouds, Circulation and Climate Sensitivity
• Carbon Feedbacks in the Climate System
• Weather and Climate Extremes
• Water for the Food Baskets of the World
• Regional Sea-Level Change and Coastal Impacts
• Near-term Climate Prediction