Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ERA4CS (European Research Area for Climate Services)
Reporting period: 2017-07-01 to 2021-12-31
Within the European Research Area (ERA), the ERA4CS Consortium was aiming to boost research for Climate Services (CS), including climate adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk management. ERA4CS has focused on the development of a “climate information translation” layer bridging user communities and the climate science. This main activity has been implemented via a large transnational call, which funded 26 research proposals.
Because of the Covid-19 crisis, most projects requested cost-neutral extensions to adjust to new working procedures. The total duration of ERA4CS was extended until end 2021 (i.e. six years instead of five). Thanks to these extensions, all objectives were reached.
Mobilizing a large community of climate scientists, social scientists, and actors of the ecological transition, ERA4CS has produced new knowledge useful to develop operational CS. This covers a variety of fields, e.g. the predictability of climate extremes, their impacts, the response of economy and societies, and the drivers of behavioral changes. Many projects produced a CS prototype (see examples below). The projects also worked together to establish a “guide of good practices” for the co-construction of CS with end-users.
Other activities of ERA4CS supported the implementation of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda of its mother organization JPI Climate. This boosted the theme of CS in this community and prompted joint actions on Climate Change mitigation and adaptation with other JPIs and Copernicus. In its last years of activity, ERA4CS made a number of proposals on how to target further support to the development of CS.
Because of the Covid-19 crisis, most projects requested cost-neutral extensions to adjust to new working procedures. The total duration of ERA4CS was extended until end 2021 (i.e. six years instead of five). Thanks to these extensions, all objectives were reached.
Mobilizing a large community of climate scientists, social scientists, and actors of the ecological transition, ERA4CS has produced new knowledge useful to develop operational CS. This covers a variety of fields, e.g. the predictability of climate extremes, their impacts, the response of economy and societies, and the drivers of behavioral changes. Many projects produced a CS prototype (see examples below). The projects also worked together to establish a “guide of good practices” for the co-construction of CS with end-users.
Other activities of ERA4CS supported the implementation of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda of its mother organization JPI Climate. This boosted the theme of CS in this community and prompted joint actions on Climate Change mitigation and adaptation with other JPIs and Copernicus. In its last years of activity, ERA4CS made a number of proposals on how to target further support to the development of CS.
In 2016 ERA4CS issued its Joint Transnational Call for research proposals on the topic of “Researching and Advancing Climate Services Development”, with funding from 12 Research Funding Organizations and 23 Research Performing Organizations from 17 European countries, and co-fund support from the European Commission under Grant Agreement 690462. 26 projects (out of 66 pre-proposals received) were supported, covering all aspects of CS. All projects included a group of end-users engaged into the co-design of a future CS. A team of independent experts assessed the progress of each project at mid-term and end of term. Four meetings of all projects were organized: a Kick-off meeting, a mid-term meeting, a final technical meeting and a final conference of presentation of results. The projects also benefitted from special training concerning the communication of their results to various audiences.
All projects organized public meetings to present their developments and the Communication team of ERA4CS boosted their visibility in large events, such as ECCA (European Climate Change Adaptation) and Adaptation Future conferences.
In order to facilitate their further exploitation, all productions of the projects are listed in tables according to a common typology (https://jpi-climate.eu/document/era4cs-tables-of-productions-of-the-projects/). This forms a 200-page document, with 772 productions of type A (text documents, including a majority of peer-reviewed publications); 131 productions of type B (numerical datasets); 54 productions of type C (software); 88 productions of type D (prototype climate services); 127 other productions. Among the type D productions, there are 31 prototype Internet sites, disseminating tailored information to a large variety of users, as well as 4 prototype mobile phone applications. Most of this material is in public access.
At mid-term, the projects decided to collaborate in editing a “guide of good practices for co-construction of CS with the end-users”, which is now available as an additional legacy of ERA4CS.
The ERA4CS partners collaborated to produce a number of reports for the benefit of JPI Climate: these reports map the activities of JPI Climate and similar initiatives throughout Europe and the world, and cover in particular the status of CS and the identified needs for further support in their development. ERA4CS supported two cycles of the bi-annual JPI Climate Scoping Forum, culminating in large Symposia in March 2018 (Paris) and December 2020 (virtual). Each if these symposia was preceded by a series of topical workshops. The “Workshop on Future Research Needs to support CS” (June 2020) produced a number of recommendations for Research Funding Organizations on how to target their support.
ERA4CS support to discussions with other JPIs and Copernicus resulted into the implementation of new actions, such as the “Joint call of JPIs Ocean and Climate on the Ocean and Climate Change” or the “Knowledge Hub on Sea Level Rise”. More actions are in preparation for the future, e.g. joint calls of JPI Climate with JPIs Cultural Heritage, FACCE and Biodiversa.
Finally, a pilot experiment of short reciprocal visits of staff of existing operational CS has been organized. The goal of such visits was to exchange between CS on operational practices and explore opportunities of cooperation. Six reciprocal visits were funded; all of them were highly appreciated by the participants, whose feedback will allow framing similar actions of larger size in the future.
All projects organized public meetings to present their developments and the Communication team of ERA4CS boosted their visibility in large events, such as ECCA (European Climate Change Adaptation) and Adaptation Future conferences.
In order to facilitate their further exploitation, all productions of the projects are listed in tables according to a common typology (https://jpi-climate.eu/document/era4cs-tables-of-productions-of-the-projects/). This forms a 200-page document, with 772 productions of type A (text documents, including a majority of peer-reviewed publications); 131 productions of type B (numerical datasets); 54 productions of type C (software); 88 productions of type D (prototype climate services); 127 other productions. Among the type D productions, there are 31 prototype Internet sites, disseminating tailored information to a large variety of users, as well as 4 prototype mobile phone applications. Most of this material is in public access.
At mid-term, the projects decided to collaborate in editing a “guide of good practices for co-construction of CS with the end-users”, which is now available as an additional legacy of ERA4CS.
The ERA4CS partners collaborated to produce a number of reports for the benefit of JPI Climate: these reports map the activities of JPI Climate and similar initiatives throughout Europe and the world, and cover in particular the status of CS and the identified needs for further support in their development. ERA4CS supported two cycles of the bi-annual JPI Climate Scoping Forum, culminating in large Symposia in March 2018 (Paris) and December 2020 (virtual). Each if these symposia was preceded by a series of topical workshops. The “Workshop on Future Research Needs to support CS” (June 2020) produced a number of recommendations for Research Funding Organizations on how to target their support.
ERA4CS support to discussions with other JPIs and Copernicus resulted into the implementation of new actions, such as the “Joint call of JPIs Ocean and Climate on the Ocean and Climate Change” or the “Knowledge Hub on Sea Level Rise”. More actions are in preparation for the future, e.g. joint calls of JPI Climate with JPIs Cultural Heritage, FACCE and Biodiversa.
Finally, a pilot experiment of short reciprocal visits of staff of existing operational CS has been organized. The goal of such visits was to exchange between CS on operational practices and explore opportunities of cooperation. Six reciprocal visits were funded; all of them were highly appreciated by the participants, whose feedback will allow framing similar actions of larger size in the future.
A few selected highlights of the ERA4CS productions are:
- The CLIM2POWER Climate Web Service provides quantitative information on total electricity that can be generated by wind, solar and hydro power, for each European country, during (i) the next season, (ii) 2030 and (iii) 2050 under various scenarios of climate change.
- The mobile phone CLIMAPP, freely available for Android and iPhone, integrates weather forecast into human thermal models to provide personalized heat and cold stress warnings and advice. The service is available in 9 languages with global coverage. It has been awarded the WMO International Weather Apps Awards 2020 for Originality and Innovation.
- The CLIMINVEST interactive platform features maps of climate indicators, case studies and content on climate modeling, calculating climate risk, flooding, heat stress, and drought as well as case studies in story map form.
- The INSEAPTION/ECLISEA prototype Sea-level rise interactive scenario viewer
- The SALIENSEAS prototype sites for seasonal forecast of sea-ice extent and climatological atlas of icebergs in North and Labrador seas.
- The SENSES interactive Internet site offering a staged access to scenario knowledge: a variety of « learn » and « exploration » modules, with interactive access to numerous scenarios & their quantitative socio-economic consequences - Access tailored to the needs of individual user subgroups.
- The DUSTCLIM enhancements to the WMO Dust Regional Center real-time service.
- EUPHEME and URCLIM developments, findings and protocols are being transferred to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
While evaluating the impact of ERA4CS projects remains difficult at the present time, a survey of the satisfaction of all end-users involved in the projects was conducted. The rate of response was very high and most end users declared to be ready to continue their cooperation with the project teams.
At the time of writing, a follow up joint call entitled “Towards operationalization of CS” is in discussion among members of the JPI Climate. The spirit of this call would be to invite proposals from communities previously supported by the EU and JPI Climate in order to increase the Technology Readiness Level of the prototype services.
- The CLIM2POWER Climate Web Service provides quantitative information on total electricity that can be generated by wind, solar and hydro power, for each European country, during (i) the next season, (ii) 2030 and (iii) 2050 under various scenarios of climate change.
- The mobile phone CLIMAPP, freely available for Android and iPhone, integrates weather forecast into human thermal models to provide personalized heat and cold stress warnings and advice. The service is available in 9 languages with global coverage. It has been awarded the WMO International Weather Apps Awards 2020 for Originality and Innovation.
- The CLIMINVEST interactive platform features maps of climate indicators, case studies and content on climate modeling, calculating climate risk, flooding, heat stress, and drought as well as case studies in story map form.
- The INSEAPTION/ECLISEA prototype Sea-level rise interactive scenario viewer
- The SALIENSEAS prototype sites for seasonal forecast of sea-ice extent and climatological atlas of icebergs in North and Labrador seas.
- The SENSES interactive Internet site offering a staged access to scenario knowledge: a variety of « learn » and « exploration » modules, with interactive access to numerous scenarios & their quantitative socio-economic consequences - Access tailored to the needs of individual user subgroups.
- The DUSTCLIM enhancements to the WMO Dust Regional Center real-time service.
- EUPHEME and URCLIM developments, findings and protocols are being transferred to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
While evaluating the impact of ERA4CS projects remains difficult at the present time, a survey of the satisfaction of all end-users involved in the projects was conducted. The rate of response was very high and most end users declared to be ready to continue their cooperation with the project teams.
At the time of writing, a follow up joint call entitled “Towards operationalization of CS” is in discussion among members of the JPI Climate. The spirit of this call would be to invite proposals from communities previously supported by the EU and JPI Climate in order to increase the Technology Readiness Level of the prototype services.