The Value of Surface-based Meteorological Observation Data
Weather forecasting generates significant societal benefits, which can be increased by improving accuracy and lead-time through better meteorological monitoring, modeling and computing. Forecasting relies on numerical weather prediction (NWP),...
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2021
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/192461614151036836/The-Value-of-Surface-based-Meteorological-Observation-Data http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35178 |
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okr-10986-351782021-04-23T14:02:18Z The Value of Surface-based Meteorological Observation Data Kull, Daniel Riishojgaard, Lars Peter Eyre, John Varley, Robert A. WEATHER FORECASTING METEOROLOGY WEATHER OBSERVATION WEATHER PREDICTION GLOBAL BASIC OBSERVING NETWORK SOCIOECONOMIC BENEFITS COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS GLOBAL PUBLIC GOODS Weather forecasting generates significant societal benefits, which can be increased by improving accuracy and lead-time through better meteorological monitoring, modeling and computing. Forecasting relies on numerical weather prediction (NWP), which is significantly impacted by the availability of meteorological observations, with space-based observations being the most important. Surface-based observations also contribute substantially to NWP performance, but current availability in Antarctica, Africa, South America, the Pacific and parts of Asia is insufficient. More observations from these regions would improve global NWP and forecasting quality, particularly in the data-sparse regions themselves, but also over the rest of the globe. It is estimated that improvements in the coverage and exchange of surface-based observations to meet the World Meteorological Organization’s Global Basic Observing Network (GBON) specification can deliver additional global socioeconomic benefits of over five billion annually. This is a conservative estimate omitting non-financial benefits such as potential lives saved and improvements to well-being, so underestimates the full benefits, particularly for developing countries. Investing in improving surface-based observations in data sparse regions is also highly economically efficient, yielding a global benefit to cost ratio of over twenty-five. Assuming sufficient observational coverage, international data exchange is a very efficient multiplier of the value of observations. However, exchange is currently insufficient across all regions. In view of the growing climate- and weather-related challenges facing humanity and recognizing that climate services similarly rely on meteorological monitoring, surface-based observations should be treated as a critical public good, with public oversight and open exchange within the meteorological and climatological communities. 2021-02-24T14:41:21Z 2021-02-24T14:41:21Z 2021 Working Paper http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/192461614151036836/The-Value-of-Surface-based-Meteorological-Observation-Data http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35178 English CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo World Bank, WMO, and British Crown, Met Office World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research Publications & Research :: Working Paper |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
| institution_category |
Foreign Institution |
| institution |
Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
English |
| topic |
WEATHER FORECASTING METEOROLOGY WEATHER OBSERVATION WEATHER PREDICTION GLOBAL BASIC OBSERVING NETWORK SOCIOECONOMIC BENEFITS COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS GLOBAL PUBLIC GOODS |
| spellingShingle |
WEATHER FORECASTING METEOROLOGY WEATHER OBSERVATION WEATHER PREDICTION GLOBAL BASIC OBSERVING NETWORK SOCIOECONOMIC BENEFITS COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS GLOBAL PUBLIC GOODS Kull, Daniel Riishojgaard, Lars Peter Eyre, John Varley, Robert A. The Value of Surface-based Meteorological Observation Data |
| description |
Weather forecasting generates
significant societal benefits, which can be increased by
improving accuracy and lead-time through better
meteorological monitoring, modeling and computing.
Forecasting relies on numerical weather prediction (NWP),
which is significantly impacted by the availability of
meteorological observations, with space-based observations
being the most important. Surface-based observations also
contribute substantially to NWP performance, but current
availability in Antarctica, Africa, South America, the
Pacific and parts of Asia is insufficient. More observations
from these regions would improve global NWP and forecasting
quality, particularly in the data-sparse regions themselves,
but also over the rest of the globe. It is estimated that
improvements in the coverage and exchange of surface-based
observations to meet the World Meteorological Organization’s
Global Basic Observing Network (GBON) specification can
deliver additional global socioeconomic benefits of over
five billion annually. This is a conservative estimate
omitting non-financial benefits such as potential lives
saved and improvements to well-being, so underestimates the
full benefits, particularly for developing countries.
Investing in improving surface-based observations in data
sparse regions is also highly economically efficient,
yielding a global benefit to cost ratio of over twenty-five.
Assuming sufficient observational coverage, international
data exchange is a very efficient multiplier of the value of
observations. However, exchange is currently insufficient
across all regions. In view of the growing climate- and
weather-related challenges facing humanity and recognizing
that climate services similarly rely on meteorological
monitoring, surface-based observations should be treated as
a critical public good, with public oversight and open
exchange within the meteorological and climatological communities. |
| format |
Working Paper |
| author |
Kull, Daniel Riishojgaard, Lars Peter Eyre, John Varley, Robert A. |
| author_facet |
Kull, Daniel Riishojgaard, Lars Peter Eyre, John Varley, Robert A. |
| author_sort |
Kull, Daniel |
| title |
The Value of Surface-based Meteorological Observation Data |
| title_short |
The Value of Surface-based Meteorological Observation Data |
| title_full |
The Value of Surface-based Meteorological Observation Data |
| title_fullStr |
The Value of Surface-based Meteorological Observation Data |
| title_full_unstemmed |
The Value of Surface-based Meteorological Observation Data |
| title_sort |
value of surface-based meteorological observation data |
| publisher |
World Bank, Washington, DC |
| publishDate |
2021 |
| url |
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/192461614151036836/The-Value-of-Surface-based-Meteorological-Observation-Data http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35178 |
| _version_ |
1764482490391592960 |