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Asian Water Cycle Initiative Identifies Priorities
The GEOSS Asian Water Cycle Initiative (AWCI) held its 4th International Coordination Meeting in Kyoto from 6-7 February. It focused on accelerating the coordination between GEOSS and AWCI, particularly on data integration and capacity building. It also sought to advance AWCI implementation in accordance with the strategy outlined in the Implementation Plan agreed at the 3rd Asian Water Cycle Symposium held in Beppu, Japan in December 2007.
Based on a series of country reports, the meeting defined four target areas that could be considered for regional cooperation. They are typhoons and cyclones; drought; cold surges; and snow, glaciers and glacial lake outburst floods.
Good progress was reported on the AWCI demonstration projects on data and metadata. The data and metadata upload systems and data quality control tools were demonstrated and their usefulness was recognized.
The meeting also reviewed the progress being made by the AWCI capacity building program. The United Nations University has developed an on-line repository to facilitate effective planning of capacity-building activities. To follow up on several seminars and workshops held in 2008, the meeting proposed concrete activities in the 2009 – 2010 timeframe. A possible water-quality study in cooperation with other GEO activities and initiatives, such as the International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management, was discussed during a special panel discussion, and a framework and basic features were proposed.
The participants concluded that “data information, science and technology, cooperation framework, and people are now ready to expand interdisciplinary cooperation that would bring mutual benefits”. Next steps include the submission by countries and organizations of proposals on the four target areas described above, the organization of a three-day workshop in September – October, the formation of a Task Team for drafting an Implementation Plan. |
