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MILUTARENA-Formidlings- og koordineringstiltak knyttet for miljø- og utviklingsforskning

The International Project Office of the World Climate Research Program’s Climate and Cryosphere Project (IPO-CliC)

Awarded: NOK 0.97 mill.

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The increased awareness of the loss rate of land-ice, sea ice, and permafrost and its impact on human and natural systems, prompted the CliC leadertship to start working on a new science strategy for the upcoming decade. The goal was to broaden its vision to address societal needs for climate information. This work culminated with the publication of the CliC Strategic Plan 2022-2031. In the next decade CliC aims to achieve a system understanding of the cryosphere and its services, by bridging across climate, ecosystems, and human systems at all scales. For this, it will support research co-designed among researchers from the natural and social sciences, stakeholders and affected communities. CliC Strategic Plan will be an important guide for future climate and cryosphere research in Norway. CliC modelling groups made a major contribution to the IPCC AR6, WG1, Chapter 9: "Ocean, Cryosphere and Sea Level Change" by the provision of model scenarios and process understanding of the dynamics of the Antarctica and Greenland ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice and snow. In particular, the Ice Sheet Modelling Intercomparison Project 6 (ISMIP6) succeeded in generating for the first time projections of future sea-level contribution from the ice sheets. The Greenland ice sheet modelling was led Dr Heiko Goeltzer at NORCE/BCCR. ISMIP6 was the result of a 7-year international collaboration involving over 40 institutions and represents the first ever coordinated effort to make fully process-based predictions of the ice sheets’ future. The collaboration generated > 25 papers including key publications on the responses of Greenland and Antarctica to climate change, as well as a statistical analysis on high-end estimates of sea level rise. ISMP6 gathered oceanographers, meteorologists, glaciologists and statisticians to develop the first framework for the use of climate projections from ESM by the ice sheet modelling community and saw worldwide scientific engagement in the development and application of this framework. Selected science outcomes from other CliC activities: (i) a synthesis of climate change impacts on sea-ice ecosystems and associate services, (ii) monitoring of sea ice age and thickness in both poles (iii) linkages of mid-latitude weather extremes with the Arctic Climate, (v) ocean and climate responses to freshwater releases in both poles, (vi) quantification of main sources of uncertainties in the surface energy budget of the Arctic Ocean, and (vii) synthesized Arctic-Boreal C-flux database (ABCflux) and a Boreal-Arctic Wetland and Lake Dataset (BAWLD) for hydrological and biogeochemical modelling for the boreal/arctic regions. CliC contributed to SCAR Antarctic Treaty, UN Decade Ocean Science, science plan Southern Ocean Observing System, UNFCCC COP26&27 IPO assisted the leadership and the research community at large in their activities, and acted as liaison with other WCRP bodies, partners and international organisations

The Climate and Cryosphere Core Project (CliC) of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) serves as the focal point for cryosphere research, its variability and change, interaction with the broader climate system and ability for the detection of climate change. Since the project´s launch in 1994, CliC activities have resulted in a wealth of cutting-edge research, valuable data products, and innovative use of models to project changes in the Polar Regions and frozen areas globally. The major challenge as of today is to develop the ability to predict a decreasing cryosphere and its impacts on the physical and societal systems. WCRP’s cryospheric research through CliC activities has a notable impact on policy fora, in particular the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings, the Arctic Council and its Working Groups, and UNFCCC. The establishment of the CliC International Project Office at the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Reserach (BCCR) as host, will provide the day-to-day business and management support to the planning and implementation of CliC research priorities. It will ensure the coordination among different CliC activities and scientists as well as the cooperation and synergies within the WCRP, as well as with other international programmes and organisations. The CliC IPO will act as a focus for cryosphere research at BCCR and Norway, and will facilitate international research collaboration through its network, infrastructure and expertise, ensuring that scientific communities in Norway are at the forefront of climate and polar science. Scientists and students from BCCR and other climate and polar science communities in Norway will benefit from enhanced international exposure as well as increased leverage in national and international funding and partnership opportunities.

Funding scheme:

MILUTARENA-Formidlings- og koordineringstiltak knyttet for miljø- og utviklingsforskning