Regional Climate Modelling and Downscaling (RCD)

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Regional climate downscaling (RCD) techniques, including both dynamical and statistical approaches, are being increasingly used to provide higher-resolution climate information than is available directly from contemporary global climate models. The techniques available, their applications, and the community using them are broad and varied, and it is a growing area. It is important however that these techniques, and the results they produce, be applied appropriately and that their strengths and weaknesses are understood. This requires a better evaluation and quantification of the performance of the different techniques for application to specific problems. Building on experience gained in the global modelling community, a coordinated, international effort to objectively assess and intercompare various RCD techniques will provide a means to evaluate their performance, to illustrate benefits and shortcomings of different approaches, and to provide a more solid scientific basis for impact assessments and other uses of downscaled climate information.

The WCRP views regional downscaling as both an important research topic and an opportunity to engage a broader community of climate scientists in its activities. It therefore proposes formation of a Task Force on Regional Climate Downscaling (TFRCD) under the auspices of the WCRP and reporting to WGCM. The mandate of the TFRCD would be to implement and oversee, in communication with the broader scientific community, the following tasks:

1) Develop a framework to evaluate RCD techniques for use in downscaling global climate projections. Such a framework would be conceptually similar to the successful coupled model intercomparisons undertaken by the WGCM, and would have the goal of quantifying the performance of RCM techniques and assessing their relative merits.

2) Foster an international coordinated effort to develop improved downscaling techniques and to provide feedback to the global climate modelling community. A specific objective will be to produce improved multi-model RCD-based high-resolution climate information over regions worldwide for input to impact/adaptation work and to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report.

3) Promote greater interactions between climate modelers, downscalers and end-users to better support impact/adaptation activities and to better communicate the scientific uncertainty inherent in climate projections and downscaled products. An important theme in this activity will be to promote greater involvement of scientists from developing countries.

The TFRCD will be expected to report regularly at the JSC and WGCM meetings on the progress of its activities.