date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 11:33:06 -0600 from: Murari Lal subject: TGCIA Report to: "tgcia@meto.gov.uk" Dear Martin, I have gone through your report on TGCIA activities during the past one year, its proposed recommendations to WG I and II and to TAR Scoping Participants> I have also read Tim's comments (on GM) and Mike Hulme's comments on TGCIA draft report. Inspite of amny limitations, the setting up and starting DDCs, and preparing a working GM has been the major achievements of TGCIA. Much of the credit for this goes to UEA and DKRZ collaborators for the DDC and to Tim for the GM. Ofcourse, we all have tried our best to offer constructive suggestions during the process. I fully agree with the proposed method of reporting TGCIA activity to the IPCC Bureau and Plenary and to TAR Scoping Meet. I can realise that it is tough to get data from Modelling Centre too quick as it takes a whole lot of time in extraction and checks. Hopefully DDC would have CCC and GFDL data in a couple of months. If TGCIA is to continue as also DDCs, availability of continued resources is the major issue and needs to be sorted out between Martin, DDC Managers and IPCC WG I and WG II Chairs. A definite mandate and the time schedule also need to be chalked out. The most crucial issue for TAR would perhaps be the scaling issues (and the model vise validation aspects underneath it) that need to be considered seriously in the mext few months. The issue of selection of a particular region or regions is critical and need to be decided perhaps by the decision makers at IPCC Bureau or Plenary keeping in view of the scientific information available or likely to be available in near future. Unfortunately, I would not be able to attend the TAR Scoping Meeting as I have not been invited. Partly, this was due to delay on part of our Govt in forwarding a list of names to IPCC Secretariat and then perhaps the Vice Chair to IPCC from India may have other more competent choices. Anyway, currently I am visiting NCAR for 7 weeks and am looking into the intraseasonal variability as simulated in CSM runs and this would keep me fully occupied until mid-July. Tim - if you need my help in re-drafting/updating a portion of GM for its update, please let me know. I had submitted a proposal to START (Prof. Fuch and Hassan Virji is aware of it) in February 1998 to seek their funding support ($45000 which also included travel cost and boarding and lodging expenses of about 40 participants) to organise a 3 week's training course in Nov - Dec 1998 on regional climate change and impact assessment for scientists from south Asian and Middle East country Scientists. I spoke to Dr. Virji in March when he was visiting India. Can TGCIA or IPCC recommend to START for this support? UNEP has regretted funding but offered providing an expert for this course. USAID and APN have kept silent thus far and time is now running out. I close this note here now with best of luck to TGCIAians who are going to meet in Germany to discuss some of these issues at greater length. Until mid-July I can be reached at either lal@al.noaa.gov or mlal@ucar.edu (Fax: 303-497 5373; 303-497 2699). Ofcourse all e-mails to my IIT Delhi address would continue to be read by me. with best regards to all, Lal