Interim Working Group on Robust Information

In April 2024, RIfS organized an expert meeting on Robustness of Climate Change Information for Decisions [read more here], to address this issue:

When sources of climate change information do not agree or are misaligned to decision contexts, there is a lack of consensus on how to resolve these two problems to inform local-to-regional decision-making that leads to consequences.

             

 

A new interim working group (IWG) has been constituted under RIfS to facilitate the development of new initiatives, and RIfS has allocated budget to support their activities. Its remit includes developing relevant publications and reference materials, building new collaboration across the silo’d communities, and facilitating and coordinating new research with regional teams.

 

A range of topics were identified as in urgent need of deeper attention. These include (among others) context sensitive metrics, ethical dimensions of information transparency and accountability, cross community collaboration, defining “robustness”, and guidance and standards for information.

The IWG is tasked to:

  • Outline and propose to the RIfS SSG the possible scope, terms of reference, and initial priorities of the IWG;
  • Develop a suggested structure of initial task groups for developing relevant near term activities and long term directions;
  • Identify needed additional capacity for the IWG and to co-opt  and/or develop a process for (self-)nominations for such capacity as are needed;
  • Assess any budget needs for the initial IWG activities. 

Members:

Douglas Maraun

Co-chair

University of Graz, Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change

Genito Maure

Co-chair

Eduardo Mondlane University

Monica Morrison

Co-chair

NCAR

Arona Diedhiou

Member

IRD – University Felix Houphouet Boigny

Rachel James

Member

University of Bristol
Richard Jones

Member

UK Met Office Hadley Centre

Lucy Mtilatila

Member

Malawi Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services

Alessandro Dosio

Member (and RIfS SSG)

European Commission Joint Research Centre

Luke Harrington

Member (and RIfS SSG)

University of Waikato
Wendy Sharples

Member (and RIfS SSG)

Australian Bureau of Meteorology
Bruce Hewitson

Ex-officio, RIfS SSG co-chair

University of Cape Town

 

Please direct your questions to any IWG member, or the RIfS IPO: admin@wcrp-rifs.org