1. Asian Water Cycle Initiative Toshio Koike Earth Observation Data Integration and Fusion Research Initiative (EDITORIA) The University of Tokyo

2. Asian Water Cycle Initiative (AWCI) Background There is a rapidly growing concern about the common water issues in the Asia-Pacific Region. Floods and droughts, characterized by the large fluctuations of the Asian-Australian monsoon rainfall system and the fragile topography associated with circum-Pacific and Alpine-Himalayan tectonic zones, are leading to large human and socio-economic losses. Water scarcity and pollution and environmental degradation including desertification are increasingly serious in Asia where is the most densely populated region with the largest population increment in the world. Many countries are worrying about possibly considerable impacts of the global climate change on such vulnerable and critical water-related situation in the Asia-Pacific Region..

3. to develop integrated water management approaches for addressing the various water-related issues comprehensively and effectively; to share timely, quality, long-term information on water quantity and quality and their variation as a basis for sound decision making of national water policies and management strategies; to construct a comprehensive, coordinated and sustained observation system of systems, including prediction systems and decision support capabilities; to promote regional approaches in which we can make coordinated efforts for observation and prediction based on common ideas on the water-related issues in the Asia-Pacific Region; to develop capacity building for making maximum use of globally integrated data and fused information for local purposes as well as for observation and collecting data. Asian Water Cycle Initiative (AWCI ) Needs

4. GEOSS Asian Water Cycle Initiative (AWCI) [integration and use of earth observation data] + [capacity building] programme Basin 1Basin 2 Basin 3Basin 4 In-situ observation River management use of satellite data Research obs, Modeling and analysis Common items ＊ Space Agencies ＊ＩＣＨＡＲＭ, MRC ESCAP, etc. In-situ data ＊ UNU, universities Research Institute, etc. Area data / information Satellite data, global network data, numerical forecasting model, assimilation of data Integration and use of earth observation data Capacity Building

5. Asian Water Cycle Initiative (AWCI ) Uniqueness 1/2 Combination of the architecture and data framework and the capacity building strategy of GEOSS. A cooperative implementation body by linking science community, space agencies, and water-related decision makers. Well coordination among existing operational systems and international and national projects on research and capacity building. Strategic approaches by shifting scientific achievements to operational use dedicating to the societal benefits. A clearly described baseline plan for implementation including the agreed data policy and timeline. Sharing advanced data infrastructure and downscaling methods for bridging between global data and local information.

6. Asian Water Cycle Initiative (AWCI ) Uniqueness – 2/2 Capacity building components for a broader community to generate, interpret and utilize value-added products from the observations, beyond training of qualified technical personnel to operate the observing instruments. Efforts for convergence of observations, interoperability arrangement, and data management based on the heritage of and the experience through the Coordinated Enhanced Observing Period (CEOP), which is one of the project of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and is closely related to the Monsoon Asia Integrated Regional Study (MAIRS) of the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP). Efforts for capacity building in water management based on the precedent discussions led by Integrated Global Water Cycle Observation (IGWCO) of Integrated Global Observation Strategy Partnership (IGOS-P)

9. Target groups Researchers / ScientistsResearchers / S –Customizing existing knowledge to suit local conditions supported by global experiences Professional / Practitioners –Introducing new methods, tools, standards Administrative / Local governments –Over view of technology and science

10. Country Representative Bangladesh -- Samarendra Karmakar (Bangladesh Meteorological Department) Bhutan -- Karma Chhophel(Hydro-met Services) Cambodia -- Long Saravuth (Department Hydrology and River Works) China -- Qian Mingkai (Huaihe River Commission, Ministry of Water Resources) India -- Nilkanth Y Apte (India Meteorological Department) Indonesia -- Joesron Loebis (Research Institute for Water Resources) Japan -- Toshio Koike (The University of Tokyo) Korea -- Deg-Hyo Bae (Sejong University) Laos -- Chanthachith Amphaychith (Lao National Mekong Committee) Malaysia -- (Cancelled) Mongolia -- Davaa Gombo (Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology ) Myanmar -- Htay Htay Than (Dept. of Meteorology and Hydrology) Nepal -- Shiv Kumar Sharma (Department of Water Induced Disaster Prevention) Pakistan -- Bashir AHMAD (Water Resources Research Institute/ National Agriculture Research Center) Philippines -- Flaviana Hilario (PAGASA/DOST) Sri Lanka -- S. B. Weerakoon (University of Peradeniya) Thailand -- Thada Sukhapunaphan (Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives) Uzbekistan -- Sergey Myagkov (Hydrometeorological Research Institut) Vietnam -- Khanh Van Duong (National Hydro-meteorological Forecasting Center) International Coordination Group Invited Experts: C. Ishida (Satellite), S. Herath (CB) WG Co-chairs: K. Fukami (Flood), C. Fu (Drought), B.Hoque (Water Quality) AWCI Secretary: A.Goda, P.Koudelova, O. Saavedra, K.Tamagawa

11. Timeline 2007 Pre-phase: survey of capabilities Summary of inputs of observations, and needs and resources of capacity building Drafting a Implementation Plan SummerITT2 Input to the Task Sheets Test Archive: Metadata, Observed Data during CEOP Phase 1 Autumn/WinterAWCI3  Input to the 4 th EO Summit Review of Updated Status of Test Archive Adoption of the Implementation Plan 2008-2011 Data Archive 2007-2010 (considering water year) Demonstration Implementation 2009 -2010 Preparation for shifting from more-research to more-operational phase