ARCDAP-2: Second Workshop on ASEAN Regional Climate Data, Analysis and Projections

The Second Workshop on ASEAN Regional Climate Data, Analysis and Projections (ARCDAP-2) was held in Singapore from 25 to 29 March 2019. The five-day capability building, knowledge sharing, and data sharing workshop was attended by 43 participants from 14 different countries. These comprised the representatives from nine ASEAN National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), sectorial experts, international experts, and local experts.

The overall objectives of the workshop were to train participants in the use of ClimPACT2 and in doing so improve sector-relevant extreme indices; to improve and standardise regional understanding of gridded products available; to assess the representation of regionally-relevant large-scale processes in gridded products; to improve estimates and model assessments of climate change mean, variability, and extremes; and finally to encourage data sharing, so as to build a regional community of data and knowledge.

Through the hands-on sessions during the ARCDAP-2 Workshop, participants were successfully trained in the use of ClimPACT2, a software developed by the Expert Team on Sector-specific Climate Indices (ET-SCI) capable of conducting quality control and calculating climate extreme indices. Presentations by sectorial experts provided context to these indices, and fuelled recommendations of future indices to be included in ClimPACT2. Seminars by local researchers as well as representatives from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provided valuable insights to gridded products such as the ECMWF reanalysis product ERA5 and NOAA’s global precipitation dataset CMORPH. The presentations left participants with a better understanding as to the strengths and limitations of these products, as well as their ability to accurately reflect large-scale processes such as the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO).

The workshop closed on a positive note, with participants commending the balance between the hands-on training sessions and the seminars, and expressing support for the continuation of the workshop series. Plans were made for the furthering of data and knowledge sharing efforts, such as the contribution of calculated indices to the HadEX3 dataset, the preparation of a publication assessing the variability and trends in climate indices, and the consolidation of regional knowledge on gridded products in a peer-reviewed publication.

For the full event report, click here.