Funding Status

The MAP-NWS Programme of EUMETNET as a Vital Contribution to MAP

One of the major achievements in 1996 in the framework of MAP has been the formal establishment of the optional EUMETNET Programme MAP-NWS (MAP-National Weather Services). MAP-NWS is designed to financially ensure the administrative and technical backbone of MAP, i.e. the Programme Office (PO) and the MAP Data Centre (MDC), and will run at least until the end of 1999.

EUMETNET, the Conference of the National Meteorological Services in Europe, has been created under the umbrella of the ëInformal Conference of the Directors of the Western European Weather Services (ICWED)í by the 13 countries Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom on December 4, 1995. Additionally, during 1996, Italy, Ireland and Switzerland joined EUMETNET.

The objective of EUMETNET is to organise a co-operation of its members, working together as a network, to help them in providing (a) leading expertise on weather, climate, environment and related activities, (b) technical support to the corresponding scientific community, and (c) high quality basic data and products. The scope of cooperative activities within EUMETNET extends to areas such as (a) observing systems, (b) data bases, (c) data processing and data communication systems, (d) basic forecasting products, (e) research and development, (f) training and (g) co-ordination of technical assistance to National Meteorological Services of non members, excluding the provision of services on a commercial basis. To fulfil its objectives EUMETNET establishes specific core programmes undertaken by all members and optional programmes undertaken by a group of members.

The directors of ICWED were informed about the plans for a future Mesoscale Alpine Programme at their ordinary sessions, the first time in April 1993 in Rome (I) and one year later at the 1994 session in Kiruna (S). Based on the generally positive reactions of the heads of the Weather Services it was envisaged to give MAP the future status of an optional EUMETNET-Programme within ICWED. After the successful Workshop and Working Group Meeting for the Planning of MAP, September 12 - 14, 1994, in Zurich, a short presentation and discussion of the results and plans for MAP was given at the ICWED Working Group Meeting for the creation of EUMETNET in Berlin, October 17/18, 1994. Again, the ICWED directors confirmed their willingness to include MAP in the series of future EUMETNET programmes. In Reykjavik on May 17, 1996, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Spain and Switzerland defined the Programme Decision, which has been followed by the preparation of a specific MAP-NWS Contract through the MAP Programme Office.

With the signature of the MAP-NWS Contract by five EUMETNET member countries in Reading (UK) on November 27, 1996, MAP-NWS became formally the first running optional EUMETNET Programme, following mainly the EUMETNET-scope (e) research and development.

The main objectives of the MAP-NWS Contract, defined in Section 2, are formulated as follows:

• The MAP-NWS Programme will be supportive to the MAP in supplying (a) funds for the MAP Programme Office and (b) funds for the MAP Data Centre.
• Research and operational activities of the individual members related to MAP are welcomed and encouraged. The latter will have to be financially supported separately of MAP-NWS and co-ordinated through the already established procedures of MAP.

Due to formal obstacles on a national level, Switzerland could sign the contract only some days later, i.e. on December 4, 1996. Spain has not yet been able to sign for reasons of administration but intends to do so soon. In addition we have the pleasure to announce and welcome Slovakia and Slovenia as the first Associated Members to MAP-NWS.

The financial contributions to this project are based on individual commitments, considering the relative importance of MAP for the countries, and not, for example, on the GNP scale. By the end of 1996 a total sum of 365 kECU has been contributed by several, at that time potential, MAP-NWS members, including the United Kingdom.

After the successful start of MAP-NWS we will invite additional National Weather Services of Western, Middle and Eastern Europe to help to ensure during the second planning phase of MAP the optimal operating of both, the MAP Programme Office and the MAP Data Centre, by joining MAP-NWS as new or associated members.

EU-Proposals

The Second Call for Offers of the "Environment and Climate Program” within the 4th PCRD has been closed on 15 January, 1997. Like many of our colleagues, MAP scientists have been very active in preparing research proposals.

The "MAP-labelled” EU-Proposals were first discussed at the joint CIG-SSC Reading meeting in September 1996. There was a consensus that it was impossible to accomodate all the work done under MAP into a single proposal, and that we would rather prepare several smaller projects, well focussed, well coordinated and avoiding overlaps. So the chances to get European funding are hopefully optimized, and the project coordination can take its full sense.

The various proposals were reviewed and officially got the "MAP stamp” at the Venice CIG meeting (December 96). It was noted with great satisfaction that many of the candidate projects were cooperative work between atmosphericians and hydrologists. This makes clear how much the involvement of the hydrological community in MAP has become a reality. Here are the six proposals that got the label, presented in an anonymous way in order to comply with the new EU regulations:

• MAPSOP (MAP Special Observing Period) is a coordinated experiment proposal, aiming at funding the MAP "Special Observing Period” (or Field Phase). It has partners from the main countries participating in MAP, and is considered vital for the fulfillment of MAP objectives.
• SMART (Soil Moisture around the Alps Retrieval Technique) will provide a 17 years analysis of the soil moisture on a wide domain, centered on the Alps, at fine horizontal resolution (around 1km). Such a data base is highly needed by both atmosphericians and hydrologists.
• RAPHAEL (Run-Off and Atmospheric Processes for Flood Hazard Forecasting and control) will explore the main issues of coupling atmospheric and hydrological models at the meso-scale in the Alpine region. It will particularly consider the Ticino-Toce watershed, which is of special relevance for MAP, as a potential target area.
• CLIMPRA (Climatology of Precipitaion from Radar and in-situ Data over the Alps) will establish spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation from a mix of observations, with high focus on the ground operational network of radars.
• PREDOP (Preparatory Analysis of Doppler Radar Data) will develop new methodologies to retrieve wind fields from the ground-based doppler radars and will prepare the implementation of research doppler radars during the SOP.
• DEMOCAT (Detection and Modelling of Clear Air Turbulence) will investigate the physical mechanisms that generate CAT over the Alps, by a mix of in-situ observations, numerical modelling and hydraulic channel simulations.
  

We wish good luck to these projects, for a long way to come through the EU bureaucracy!

Meanwhile, the first MAP EU proposal, HERA (Heavy Rain in the Alps), which was submitted to the previous call for offers, and had a very long decision process, was finally signed at the beginning of December 1996. The work has started in the partner Institutes, and we should hear about results very soon. This is a very good news to all of us, and especially for several young and bright scientists that got their first job thanks to this project.

Status of MAP in the USA

The planning process for major field projects usually contains a sequence of critical mile posts that are different for different countries. In the USA these mile posts are fairly firm in view of the multitude of competing projects and their facility demands. The delay of the MAP field phase has put a "wrinkle” into this process requiring postponement of certain decision making points. At this time we expect consideration of "Advance Reservations” of major NCAR and NOAA facilities (aircraft, radars, etc.) for MAP to take place in late 1997. Firm commitments cannot be expected before fall 1998. Background material for these decisions is being prepared and will be contained in an "Umbrella Document” expanding on the earlier "White Paper” draft.

US objectives for MAP are being extended to include hydrological aspects such as run-off production by infiltration and saturation excesses. US concerns about free data access policy will hopefully be resolved soon on the IGP level. Problems with NCAR's high altitude WB-57 aircraft, presently under investigation, are expected to be cleared up by spring 1997. Site survey of candidate Operations Center airports by NCARís and NOAA's flight facilities have been initiated.

An international planning meeting to be held in the USA is being proposed for early 1998 to bring together the US scientific and technological community with key European counter parts for the purpose of integrating their respective field phase plans. Present indications are that interest of the US scientific community in MAP is undiminished.