GCOS

What is GCOS?

The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) was established in 1992 to ensure that weather observations and other information needed to address climate related issues are obtained and made available to all potential users.

It is made up of the Global Upper Air Network with 150 stations selected worldwide,

and the Global Surface Network with 989 stations worldwide.

A regional workshop on the Global Observing System was  held in Nairobi, where Seychelles was singled out in a regional workshop on the Global Observing System held in Kisumu, Kenya, as one of few countries in Africa who has consistently sent high quality data from its two global weather observing stations actually providing climate data into the Global Climate Observing System.

One is the main Meteorological Station at the Airport providing surface-based (close to the ground) weather data. The other is the Upper Air Station on SoutheastIsland, which provides data from the upper atmosphere up to about 30km above the earth's surface. The two stations forms part of a baseline global network of weather reporting stations providing data for Global Climate monitoring.

Following this recognition it is likely that Seychelles will be increasing its network, possibly extending it to Aldabra, following discussions with the Seychelles Island Foundation

The Seychelles Meteorological Services, in close collaboration with the Seychelles Fishing Authority, the Island Development Company and the Seychelles Coast Guards also has plans to extend its network to cover the marine environment, especially through the management of buoys and permanent stations on the outer islands.

The increase in measurements of meteorological/atmospheric, oceanographic and terrestrial variables in the region would provide essential data for detecting and attributing climate change; for monitoring, understanding and predicting climate change and climate variability; for developing strategies to ameliorate the potential harmful effects of climate change and variability; and for advancing sustainable development regionally.

Seychelles had already prepared and submitted the adequacy report of the Global Climate Observing Systems (GCOS) to meet the observational needs in support to the request made by the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Kyoto in 1997.

Link: http://www.wmo.ch/web/gcos/gcoshome.html