cc: Manola Brunet-India , Enric Aguilar date: Wed Feb 25 11:53:56 2004 from: Phil Jones subject: Fwd: Re: C & northern S. American workshop to: Thomas C Peterson Dear Tom, Back from a sunny Tarragona. Both Manola and Enric are very happy about being involved in the northern S. American workshop. So it would seem best to add their emails in future exchanges about the meeting. I said I expected the meeting to take place in the late autumn. Most of their teaching commitments take place between Feb and June. Cheers Phil Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 17:24:47 -0600 From: Patricia Ramirez Obando Subject: Re: C & northern S. American workshop Sender: probando@racsa.co.cr To: Thomas C Peterson Cc: Francisco Guerrero , Mauricio Rosales , Javier Garcia Romano , Phil Jones , Michael Taylor - UWI Jamaica , Albert Martis X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106 Dear Tom,| Thanks for your quick reaction and for including Phil, Albert and Michael; fom now on I will include also, Mauricio Rosales (Nicaragua's NWS Director), Javier Garcia (INETER's Director General Advisor) and Francisco Guerrero (Climate Aplications Unit), who are already aware about the idea and have expressed INETER's willingness to host the worskhop. Let me react to your comments: Funding in fact is tight; based on our experiennce organizing meetings in the Region, average cost of participants from Central America or Mexico in a 5 days event is around $1400 including air ticket, lodging, meals and terminal expenses, or 1450 if you include insurance. Participants from Vemezuela, Guyana or Colombia could cost around $2000. Once we have the exact dates, I am sure our colleagues in Nicaragua will help us finding the best deal in lodging and meal services but to be in the safe side, these are the numbers we should use for budgeting. Language is an issue we have to think about carefully since that amount limits the posibilities for interpretation (Dayly cost for interpretation in Managua is around $800, including interpreters and equipment) . Most of the potential participants have spanish as mother tongue, Spanish then seems to be the logical language for the workshop, provided instructors could speak the language too; however, we have to consider that it will be a limiting factor for participants from Guyana and Belize.On the other hand, have English as workshop's language may signify a serious limitation to have the right persons participating , since even if many colleagues in our region can comunicate in English, their comand in the language is not enough as to follow a week instruction in it, but we can check with the potential participants. I agree in having the organizing Commitee small in order to easier decisions, so from our part it will be only a person from INETER and myself. I think facilities in INETER are adecuate, however I would like to ask them to describe them for you. That's it for the moment, Regards Patricia Ramirez, M.Sc. Directora de Proyectos en Meteorología y Clima Comité Regional de Recursos Hidráulicos del Itsmo Centroamericann (CRRH/SICA) Tel: (506) 231 5791 ext 102 Fax: (506) 296 0047 [1]probando@aguayclima.com Fax: (506) 296 0047 Apdo 1527- 1200 Pavas, Costa Rica ----- Original Message ----- From: [2]Thomas C Peterson To: [3]Patricia Ramirez Obando Cc: [4]Albert Martis ; [5]Michael Taylor - UWI Jamaica ; [6]Phil Jones Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 1:20 PM Subject: C & northern S. American workshop Dear Patricia - Thank you very much for your encouraging words. They sound firm enough that I thought I should expand the recipient list to include: - Phil Jones who is part of the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection, Monitoring and Indices and is interested in participating in the workshop. - Albert Martis whom we've discussed the workshop with for some time. - And Michael Taylor from the UWI who hosted the previous workshop in the Caribbean who not only has insights from the past workshop but has expressed an interest in this workshop as well (he and I have been exchanging emails on it). There are plenty of specific details we should discuss: First off, funding and overhead that you mentioned. At US$40K, our funding will be tight enough that we probably can't invite everyone we would like. Your institution charging 10% overhead will make that somewhat tighter. But that is still a smaller overhead than I could have found here in the U.S. So I don't anticipate that being a serious problem as long as we recognize it up front. Dates: Do you have any dates you would recommend? The southern South American workshop is planned to last for 5 & 1/2 days. Facilities: Will the facilities at INETER ([7]http://www.ineter.gob.ni) be adequate? Could you describe them a bit for us? Including Mexico: Since you recommended including them, that is fine with me. Conference language: As someone who speaks only English and FORTRAN, I'm always in awe of multi-linguists. Of the people you thought might be appropriate to invite, how many also speak English? Organizing committee: How big would be appropriate (the southern South American workshop only has 3 of us on the committee)? Among the appropriate people include, I say all or most (if some are too busy) of those cc'd. Plus someone from INETER? Also Lucie Vincent of Canada has expressed a strong interest in helping and Environment Canada has offered to pay part of her expense. I think that's enough questions for now. Comments from anyone would be appreciated. Warm regards, Tom Patricia Ramirez Obando wrote: Dear Tom, Sorry, wrong key and the message went unfinished. Here I go again. Thanks for your message. I think we met in AR IV-RCC meeting in Miami. Regarding the regional cliamte workshop I am now in position to confirm you that our organization , CRRH, as the regional organization in Central America asigned by the governments with the task of coordinate all activities related with weather, climate and water resources, is interested in become the organizer. CRRH and its member organizations in 7 countries in Central America has climate change as one of its working areas, many of us have been involved or contributed to regional information gathering fo IPCC s SAR and TAR processes. Because of the work the organization had develop in the Region for 35 years we certainly know the weather services, climate and climate change commnunities, and therefore we are in good position to help identify people to invite and data availability in the different countries; also we have good experience working in the organization of this type of trainning events and workshops with NOAA, WMO, IAI, IDA, OAS, among others. As regional organizers we can take care of invitations, travel and local organization and all administrative management necessary, however the organization charge a 10 % overhead over the moneys managed through it. Regarding the place for the Wshp, the Instituto Nicaraguense de Estudios Territoriales (INETER), that host the National Weather Service, had expressed their willingness to be hold it. The dates however we may have to adjust them a little, due to other important events in the Region already programed. Referent to the countries if resources allow it , we would like to suggest to inlcude Mexico, since we have a good working relation with the group working in climate change in the National Weather Service who are those who have long term data. Hoping to have the oppportunity to go further with this iniciative, I remain at your disposal for any question or doubt you may have. Sincerely Patricia Ramirez, M.Sc. Directora de Poryectos en Meteorología y Clima Comité Regional de Recursos Hidráulicos del Itsmo Centroamericann (CRRH/SICA) Tel: (506) 231 5791 ext 102 Fax: (506) 296 0047 [8]probando@aguayclima.com Fax: (506) 296 0047 Apdo 1527- 1200 Pavas, Costa Rica ----- Original Message ----- From: [9]Thomas C Peterson To: [10]probando@racsa.co.cr Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2004 1:24 PM Subject: Re: Regional Climate Change Workshops Update Dear Patricia, I used an on-line translator (see below in case you're curious) to understand what you wrote Albert as I only speak English and FORTRAN. I don't remember whether we've met, but I do remember hearing you give an excellent talk a few years ago in Geneva. [11]http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/wmo/ccl/index.html This web site provide a link to some information on the regional climate change workshops. We've held on in the Caribbean a few years ago and are well on our way to organizing one in Brazil in August hosted by Luiz Molion. The one in Brazil will include the countries from Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador south. The workshop we had discussed with Albert (who attended the Caribbean workshop) would be for French Guiana to Columbia and north to Guatemala. We didn't include Belize because they participated in the Caribbean workshop. And we didn't include Mexico (though this is open to discussion) because they have other collaboration with the US which should be a different route to get the same analysis accomplished. The plan is for an approximately one week workshop where individuals bring long-term daily station data with them. The workshop is about half seminars on climate change, data quality control, data homogeneity, etc. and half hands-on analysis of indices of extremes derived from the data. In the Caribbean workshop we found some people who didn't trust their data because it showed a sudden jump in 1976, started trusting them when they found the island to both the north and south of them showing the same exact feature. So it really helps to have a group of countries together. The end product would be a result of careful post workshop analysis of the time series and include an article on changes in extremes for the region (the web page above can take you to the paper from the Caribbean workshop) and have those results fit into a global analysis contributing to the next IPCC assessment. We hope that all of the derived indices will be able to be released and at least some of the station data (that is a good side benefit but not a requirement). I mention "we" a lot. Primarily I'm talking about the joint CCl/CLIVAR Expert Team on Climate Change Detection, Monitoring and Indices. For this workshop, the ET person chosen to help organize it is Phil Jones. I am not a member of that team, but I am chair of the OPAG they report to. Also, I'm the individual responsible for the funding that can be used to support the workshop, so too would be involved. We have US$40,000 put aside for the workshop and $10,000 for post workshop analysis (probably by me at my instituion, though that isn't certain). The local host would be expected to be able to line up a room for participants to meet in. It would not require internet access but computers would be helpful as this is hands-on. However, enough participants may be able to bring laptops that this won't be a problem (we only need one computer for every 2 or 3 participants as the work seems to be done best in teams). The local host would also line up hotel accomodations. While not required, ideally we'd like a host who (1) knows the appropriate people from the region to invite, (2) is willing to make the person to person contact involved in inviting the people and making sure they will be able to bring data with them, (3) is working in an institution where holding such a workshop would be seen as valued part of their mission rather than as one more task to distract them from their true calling, and (4) would be able to take in $40,000 from GCOS and pay hotel bills, purchase plane tickets, etc. for the participants. These latter items are the ideal and we can work around any problems one way or another. But we really want to involve local hosts who think that this work -- helping improve regional climate change analyses and getting their regional change documented in IPCC -- is important and worthwhile. I've probably wrote more than I should have, but I wanted to be able to answer your most important questions in one pass. Do you have any questions that this didn't answer? Do you think this would be an interesting project to get involved in? Regards, Tom Peterson Valued Martin, If we would have interest to organize the regional workshop on change climatic for Mesoamerica. I did consultations and the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial studies of Nicaragua (UNETHER) it would be interested in being host, only they wanted to know that it would have to assume commitments institution hostess and on everything that type of facility of team of I calculate, communications and access to Internet would have to have the place for the Workshop. I stay in expectation of your response, Many greetings Albert Martis wrote: Muchísima gracias Particia por tu esfuerzos. Te voy a poner en contacto con Tom Peterson de NCDC (organizador de el Taller). El también estaba en Miami durante e meeting de los Expertos Climatológicos. Si hay una manera que te puedo ayudar lo haré con mucho gusto. Albert Dear Tom, I have got excellent news from Particia de CRRH. She will explain the details to you. Albert -----Original Message----- From: [12]probando@racsa.co.cr [[13]mailto:probando@racsa.co.cr] Sent: Monday, February 02, 2004 10:52 AM To: Albert Martis Subject: Re: Regional Climate Change Workshops Update Apreciado Martin, Si tendriamos interes en organizar el taller regional sobre cambio climatico para Mesoamerica. Hice consultas y el Instituto Nicaraguense de Estudios Territoriales de Nicaragua (INETER) estaria interesado en ser anfitrion, solo quisieran saber que compromisos tendria que asumir la institucion anfitriona y sobre todo que tipo de facilidades de equipo de computo,comunicaciones y acceso a internet tendria que tener el lugar para el Taller. Quedo a la espera de tu respuesta, Muchos saludos Patricia Ramirez O. , MSc. Directora de Proyectos en Meteorología y Clima Comité Regional de Recursos Hidráulicos del Itsmo Centroamericano (CRRH) Sistema de Integración Centroamericano (SICA) Tel: 506 231 5791 ext 102 Fax: 506 296 0047 [14]crrhcr@racsa.co,.cr [15]probando@racsa.co.cr Podrias ----- Original Message ----- From: "Albert Martis" [16] To: [17] Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 12:39 PM Subject: FW: Regional Climate Change Workshops Update -----Original Message----- From: Thomas C Peterson [[18]mailto:Thomas.C.Peterson@noaa.gov] Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 11:48 AM To: Francis Zwiers; [19]zxy@soc.soton.ac.uk Zhongwei Yan - CLIVAR; Valery Detemmerman; Paul Llanso - WMO; Howard Diamond; Alan R Thomas; Hassan Virji - START; Mike Manton; Luiz Molion; David Karoly; Phil Jones; Albert Martis; Byron Gleason; Lisa Alexander; Bruce Hewitson Subject: Regional Climate Change Workshops Update I know many people are interested in encouraging the regional climate change workshops so I thought I should send out a quick update on the status of upcoming regional climate change workshops linked to the CCl/CLIVAR ETCCDMI. To the best of my current understanding, we have three workshops where firm planning is underway: 1. Southern Africa Date: 31 May - 4 June, 2004 Host and organizer: Bruce Hewitson, University of Capetown Probable additional technical support from, Ive heard, Lisa Alexander Countries to be included: I believe there is not a firm list but is rather somewhat flexible based partly on availability of data For more information see his web page: [20]http://www.csag.uct.ac.za/etccdmi/ 2. Southern South America Date: August 9-14, 2004 Host: Luiz Molion, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Alagoas, Brazil Organizing Committee: Luiz Molion, David Karoly and Tom Peterson Probable additional technical support from Malcolm Haylock Countries to be included: Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile 3. Central America and northern South America Date: October 25-29, 2004 (dates just finalized today; these are after the hurricane season and before the tourist season raises hotel prices) Host: Albert Martis, Meteorological Service Netherlands Antilles & Aruba, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles Organizing Committee: Albert Martis, Phil Jones, Tom Peterson Probable additional technical support from Bryon Gleason. Countries to be included: French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. Belize is excluded because they participated in the Caribbean workshop. Mexico is under consideration. Depending on funding, two additional workshops are also being discussed: 4. Southwestern Asia Tentative date: May 2005 Host: Serhat Sensoy, Turkish State Met. Service, Kalaba /Ankara, Turkey 5. Asian Plateau and surrounding countries Plans for these latter two workshops are not well developed as the focus has been on the first three and, indeed, we should probably make sure the first three are well on their way before seriously addressing additional workshops. Given what I know about current and tentative/potential support from a variety of sources (e.g., START, CLIVAR, WMO, U.S. State Department), the first three workshops should be able to become realities. If we can be careful with our resources and acquire moderate additional support for this series of workshops, I'm hopeful that well be able to support at least a 4th workshop as well. Synthesis: In addition to each workshop producing an article describing regional changes in extreme indices, Lisa Alexander is planning a global indices article that will include the results of these workshops along with other data analysis, in time for the next IPCC. Software: Byron Gleason is planning an update to CLIMDEX. His planned changes sound very helpful. That's the current status to the best of my understanding. It sounds pretty exciting to me: plenty of interesting and worth while working ahead of us. Best wishes, Tom Prof. Phil Jones Climatic Research Unit Telephone +44 (0) 1603 592090 School of Environmental Sciences Fax +44 (0) 1603 507784 University of East Anglia Norwich Email p.jones@uea.ac.uk NR4 7TJ UK ----------------------------------------------------------------------------