1. WMO INTEGRATED GLOBAL OBSERVING SYSTEM (WIGOS)
Dr Fernando Belda
Director, OBS Department
27-31 March, 2017
San José, Costa Rica

2. What is WIGOS?
WMO foundational activity addressing the observing needs of the weather, climate, water and environmental services of its Members
A framework for integrating all WMO observing systems and WMO contributions to co-sponsored observing systems under a common regulatory and management framework
Together with the WMO Information System (WIS), WIGOS is a WMO contribution to GEOSS.WIGOS is not:
Replacing or taking over existing observing systems, which will continue to be owned and operated by a diverse array of organizations and programmes, national as well as international.

3. WIGOS Component Systems
Global Observing System (WWW/GOS)
Observing component of Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW)
WMO Hydrological Observations (including WHOS)
Observing component of Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW)

4. The WIGOS Pre-Operational Phase (2016-2019)
Increased emphasis on regional and national activities
Five main priority areas:
WIGOS Regulatory Material, supplemented with necessary guidance material
WIGOS Information Resource, including the Observing Systems Capabilities analysis and Review tool (OSCAR), especially OSCAR/Surface
WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System (WDQMS)
Regional Structure; Regional WIGOS Centers
National WIGOS Implementation, coordination and governance mechanisms
Priority areas II and III will enable us to:
Describe what WIGOS is, and
Measure how well it performs
Initial role of priority area IV (RWCs):
Provide support for areas II and III

5. OSCAR
OSCAR, the Observation Systems Capabilities and Review tool currently consists of three databases:
OSCAR/Requirements, in which “technology free” requirements are provided for all 14 WMO application areas, expressed in units of geophysical variables (260 in total currently), not measurands; not just atmospheric, also terrestrial, ocean, cryosphere, …
OSCAR/Space, listing the capabilities of all satellite sensors, whether historical, operational or planned
OSCAR/Surface, list surface-based capabilities; developed by MeteoSwiss for WMO, in beta-testing

6. WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System (WDQMS)
Real-time monitoring of performance (data availability and data quality) of all WIGOS components, searchable by region, country, station type, period, etc.
The WDQMS will provide a complete description of how well WIGOS is functioning
Monitor regional and national performance of all WIGOS components
Pilot projects involving ECMWF, NCEP, DWD, KMS and others are underway
Delayed mode monitoring of data quality as measured against reference sources of information.
Fault management system for tracking and mitigation of performance issues.

9. WDQMS – ECMWF Images - snapshot

10. Regional WIGOS Centers (RWC)
Why?
Many WMO Members requesting support from Secretariat for national implementation efforts
Can be addressed more efficiently and effectively at regional level
What?
Initial role or RWC will be to support national WIGOS Implementation efforts, in particular as concerns
OSCAR/Surface; ensuring metadata input and QC
WDQMS; especially fault management component
How?
To be decided by individual WMO Regions - will likely take place primarily at the sub-Regional level
Pilot RA-VI (Europe) RWC being implemented around existing EUMETNET activities; approved by EUMETNET STAC/PFAC in March 2016

11. Regional WIGOS Centers (III) Benefits to Region and Members involved
Helps maintain an up to date comprehensive online inventory (OSCAR/Surface) of observing systems/platform for the Region or sub-Region
Helps support network design and network management activities
Incident management component of WDQMS will lead to better observations for the benefit of all users, both regionally and globally - most important data voids for global NWP are in Africa
Capacity building for sub-Region and (especially) for host(s) of RWC
Can play a role also in education and training, calibration and maintenance, …

12. WIGOS Timeline WIGOS Pre-operational Phase WIGOS Concept WIGOS
Congress 16
Congress 18
Congress 17
Wigos strategic priority
ICG-WIGOS
WIGOS Ready
WIGOS
Concept
WIGOS
Framework
WIGOS
Operational
Technical Commissions, under leadership of CBS and CIMO,
in collaboration with Regional Associations
Arrow goes back further, since integration is not a new concept – the WWW was/is an exemplar in integration, with its end to end view across WMO/NMHS functions, and the GOS has led the way in surface and space- based integration.
Now broaden and embrace, and address the growing challenges and demand on NMHS for more and more observations, with fewerand fewer resoirces, and with increasingly rapid changes in technology on all fronts.
Situational awareness is all about observations, information and interpretation

13. WIGOS Timeline WIGOS Pre-operational Phase WIGOS Concept WIGOS
Congress 16
Congress 18
Congress 17
Wigos strategic priority
ICG-WIGOS
WIGOS Ready
WIGOS
Concept
WIGOS
Framework
WIGOS
Operational
Technical Commissions, under leadership of CBS and CIMO,
in collaboration with Regional Associations
Arrow goes back further, since integration is not a new concept – the WWW was/is an exemplar in integration, with its end to end view across WMO/NMHS functions, and the GOS has led the way in surface and space- based integration.
Now broaden and embrace, and address the growing challenges and demand on NMHS for more and more observations, with fewerand fewer resoirces, and with increasingly rapid changes in technology on all fronts.
Situational awareness is all about observations, information and interpretation
Strengthened EC role

14. Summary and Conclusions
WIGOS global framework is now in place and will be further developed during the Pre-operational Phase ( )
OSCAR/Surface and the WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System (WDQMS) are the two most important technical elements, and both are of strategic importance to WMO
OSCAR/Surface provides a quantitative, comprehensive online description of all observing platforms and stations of WIGOS
WDQMS is the primary WIGOS performance measuring tool
Still in development; pilot projects underway
Regional WIGOS Centers will provide important support function for these elements
Still looking for pilot implementation in RA-I

15. Thank you
Merci