Chapter 3 Climate Applications and Services

Introduction

Coping with drought depends on climate forecasts for the coming months. To assist planning for climate variability, the Bureau of Meteorology issues monthly drought statements, usually using rainfall percentiles to indicate regions that are extremely dry. CSIRO has investigated a drought index that includes potential evaporation as well as rainfall, and in conjunction with the Bureau of Meteorology is considering whether an index similar to the simple difference between rainfall and potential evaporation can be used in drought statements and seasonal forecasts. CSIRO has produced forecasts of average change in such an index over Australia due to climate change, which indicate a decrease in annual moisture balance of between 40 and 500 mm by 2070.

As the earth’s precious resources come under increasing pressure from human activities, the importance of climate information in resource management and other human endeavours will increase. The increased demands for climate information in recent years reflect these pressures and also reflect substantial advances in understanding of climate and in how to use this information, as well as improvements in information technology. Climate information is widely applied in a range of scientific, socio economic and industrial applications, including in environmental modeling studies, decision support systems and plant suitability analysis. In concert with the rising demand for climate information, it is vitally important that meteorological and related agencies continue to cooperate within Australia, to ensure that climate needs are identified and satisfied and also between countries to help guarantee that the quality and accessibility of climate data and information is maintained.

The World Climate Applications and Services Programme (WCASP), a component of the World Climate Programme (WCP), under the leadership of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), encourages and assists WMO Members in expanding the application of climate information and prediction services to human activities and sustainable development. This endeavour includes especially, the coordination and implementation of capacity building activities in developing countries focusing on the provision of services to climate-sensitive socio-economic sectors (WMO 2002).

The main long-term objectives of WCASP are:

• to help WMO Members develop climate services with special emphasis placed on services for national sustainable development and for devising methods of adapting to, and mitigating, the adverse impacts of climate and its variations;
• to promote awareness of the potential benefits of climate services in human endeavour with particular emphasis on public safety and welfare; and
• to encourage the development of practical methods and techniques and to provide easy access to them for the application of climate information, including climate prediction products.

Some of the higher profile activities within the WCASP have been: showcase projects on Climate and Health – Heat/Health Warning System; progress in developing infrastructure for seasonal to interannual climate prediction (with other areas of WMO); and Climate Information and Prediction Service (CLIPS).

As discussed in Chapter 2, the WMO Commission for Climatology (CCl) has adopted a new structure, involving three Open Programme Area Groups (OPAGs). The third OPAG on Climate Applications, Information and Prediction Services is the one responsible for carrying out much of the work under the WCASP. As with the other OPAGs, several Expert Teams exist in the new structure along with an Implementation/Coordination Team. The Expert Teams are related to some of the WCASP projects previously mentioned and also involves teams on urban climatology, energy, capacity building, end-user liaison, and application of climate indices.

The Bureau of Meteorology is the main provider of basic climate services to the Australian community through its National Climate Centre (NCC) in Melbourne and Regional Climate and Consultative Service centres in each capital city. The Bureau of Meteorology’s Meteorological Information Offices in regional and rural Australia also provide some services. In addition, the Bureau of Meteorology provides a number of sector oriented services for general and targeted use. State/Territory departments and agricultural agencies and a number of university groups and private individuals and organisations, also provide a wide range of specialised and sector oriented services.

This chapter describes in necessarily broad terms, the range of the climate services available in Australia and how climate information is being used.