4.4    Expert Team on Urban and Building Climatology

 

4.4.1  Members of ET 4.4

 

Lead:

Sue Grimmond

UK

Experts:

Tim Oke

Canada

 

DJE K. Bernard

Côte d’Ivoire

 

Song Lian Chun

China

 

Ena Maria Jaimes Espinoza*

Peru

 

Bob Bornstein

USA

 

Ildiko Dobi

Hungary

 

Gerald Mills

Ireland

 

Emmanuel Rohinton

Sri Lanka

 

 

4.4.2 Terms of Reference for ET 4.4

Note that in the General Summary Text of the proceedings of the fourteenth session of the Commission for Climatology (3-10 November 2005, Beijing China) it is noted (item 11.2.6(g)) that the Terms of Reference are broad, long-term goals that constitute a framework to guide the work of the Expert Team (ET), and that each ET will set workplans with Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound (SMART) goals consistent with that framework (see 4.4.3 below)

 

(a)     To develop the UBC science that is used by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) staff and the users of their services, including:

(i)      To develop and promote guidelines for standardization of scientific communication on urban climate issues;

(ii)     To aid in the improvement of models of urban surface atmosphere exchanges through collaboration with other key organizations.  For example to facilitate: development of a directory of models; model intercomparisons; and an inventory of climatologically significant characteristics of the world’s cities;

(iii)    To assess the effect of built environment and urbanization on the archived long-term climate data records;

(iv)    To collaborate with relevant scientific organizations (e.g. International Association for Urban Climate (IAUC), International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)) and their activities;

 

(b)     To further the application of the UBC science, including:

(i)      To develop and disseminate reference materials (e.g. Technical Notes (TNs), Bibliographies, etc.);

(ii)     To improve communication, coordination and collaboration with relevant international agencies and science programmes, NMHSs and WMO scientific programmes (e.g. through the Commission for Atmospheric Sciences (CAS), the Commission for Basic Systems, (CBS) and the Commission for Hydrology (CHy), the World Climate Research Programme and the Global Energy and Water Cycle experiment  (WCRP/GEWEX));

(iii)    To develop a WMO ‘vision’ of the role of urban climate.  For example, to include the cross-cutting themes, relate to the Millenium Development Goals (MPGs), sustainable development; poverty reduction; reduction of risk from natural hazards; and the potential impacts of current and changing climates on the social, economic and environmental  ‘health’ of urban areas;

 

(c)     To facilitate training of NMHS staff, which will help them better interact with and serve the end-users of urban meteorological, climatological and hydrological services (e.g. urban managers, urban planners, urban landscape architects and building design professionals, etc.), including:

(i)      To gather and further develop training materials;

(ii)     To organize a series of regional training workshops, particularly to support capacity-building in developing countries;

(iii)    To produce and maintain guidance materials that relate to the built environment and climate, for specific end-user applications (e.g. Technical Notes, web resources and training curricula and materials for meteorological personnel);

(iv)    To explore the most efficient and cost-effective methods by which to deliver the training, and related materials and tools;

 

(d)     To identify and respond to other relevant activities in OPAGs 3 and 4 on CLIPS and Climate Applications and Services;

(e)     To incorporate the WMO cross-cutting themes (on Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Space/GEO and Least Developed Countries) into planning and activities of the ET, and to collaborate as needed with experts (across all related disciplines) in other CCl ETs, in ETs of other WMO Technical Commissions, and in relevant external Organizations;

(f)      To provide guidance on, and make recommendations for, the design and conduct of specific demonstration and pilot projects, including the calculation of cost/benefits and value of climate predictions from the user point of view;

(g)     To explore, document and make recommendations for addressing the needs for capacity building in each region, pertinent to this topic;

(h)     To submit reports in accordance with timetables established by the Chair of the OPAG and/or the Management Group.