World Climate Programme

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Scope

The World Climate Programme (WCP) facilitates the analysis and prediction of Earth system variability and change for use in an increasing range of practical applications of direct relevance, benefit and value to society. These useful applications of climate information focus on user interaction and stimulate socio-economic benefits which underpin the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS).

The scope of WCP is to determine the physical basis of the climate system that:

allows increasingly skillful climate predictions and projections;
develops operational structures to provide climate services; and
develops and maintains an essential global observing system fully capable of meeting the climate information needs.

Objectives

The objectives of the World Climate Programme (WCP) are to:

improve the understanding of climate processes;
promote comprehensive observation of the global climate system and facilitate the effective collection and management of climate data and monitoring;
enhance and promote the availability of, and access to, user-targeted climate services;
foster the application of climate knowledge and information for the better management of the risks of climate variability and change; and
promote capacity development, particularly in developing and least developed countries.

Structure

The World Climate Programme (WCP) supports the implementation and operation of the various components of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) and is comprised of:

World Climate Services Programme (WCSP) guided and advised by the Commission for Climatology (CCl);
Global Climate Observing System (GCOS);
World Climate Research Programme (WCRP); and
Programme of Research on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation (PROVIA) managed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Components

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World Climate Services Programme (WCSP)

The World Climate Services Programme (WCSP) contributes to improving the availability and access to reliable data, advancement of the knowledge in the area of climate data management and climate analysis, definition of the technical and scientific standards, and development of activities to support them in countries. Climate data management will include data rescue, development and coordination of a global climate data management system compatible with the WMO Information System (WIS).

World Climate Services Programme

Global Climate Observing System (GCOS)

The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) provides comprehensive information on the total climate system, involving a multidisciplinary range of physical, chemical and biological properties, and atmospheric, oceanic, hydrological, cryospheric and terrestrial processes.

World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)

The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) facilitates the analysis and prediction of Earth system variability and change for use in an increasing range of practical applications of direct relevance, benefit and value to society.

World Climate Research Programme

World Adaption Science Programme (WASP)

The World Adaption Science Programme (WASP) has been built from the lessons learned from the previous Programme of Research on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation (PROVIA), which was one of the four components that formed the World Climate Programme (WCP) based on the WMO Congress XVI Resolution 18.

WASP is led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations University (UNU). The WASP has an international panel with a multi-stakeholder governance structure consisting of a Management Group, a Science Committee, and a Policy and Finance Committee

World Climate Programme