Author: Roberto Buizza
Affiliation: European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts

Abstract:
The last decades have seen major advances in the prediction of large-scale phenomena also thanks to the use of ensembles based on coupled land, ocean and atmosphere models. Today, ECMWF uses coupled land, ocean and atmosphere models to generate medium-range and sub-seasonal forecasts, and in data assimilation to improve the estimation of past climate variability. In the next 10 years, ECMWF plans to further improve and exploit coupled models to initialize and extract predictable signals from its ensembles. In this talk, I will describe the operational suites used at ECMWF, present our prototype coupled assimilation system, and show some preliminary results from the ECMWF coupled reanalysis of the 20th century. I will then discuss ECMWF plans to move towards seamless ensembles based on more complete Earth-system models and assimilation systems.

Climate change research – Horizon 2020 orientations for the next 3-year period

Author: Andrea Tilche

Affiliation: European Commission, Directorate General for Research and Innovation

Abstract:

The action on climate change is among the political priorities of the European Commission, as President Juncker recently stated in his State of the Union Speech. The enormous financial investment on climate during the last three-year period of Horizon 2020 proves our commitment to achieving the Paris Agreement objectives: more than 3.3 billion Euros will be invested in the Focus Area “Building a low-carbon, climate-resilient future”. In this framework, more than 400 million Euros will be allocated to climate science, with the aim of contributing massively to the IPCC 6th Assessment Cycle and of supporting with the best scientific evidence the Paris process and the 2023 “Global Stocktake”.

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MED Challenges and Agri-Food Research and Innovation: the PRIMA Initiative

Author: Angelo Riccaboni

Affiliation: Università di Siena, Dipartimento di Studi Aziendali e Giuridici

Abstract:

The entire MED Area is dealing with major environmental and social challenges, exacerbated by the climate change. Loss of biodiversity, unsustainable farm systems, increase in drought, urbanization are affecting the provision of food and water, and threatening well-being and health of Euro-Mediterranean societies. To tackle such challenges, which do not recognize borders, joint research and innovation are needed. In line with this PRIMA, Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area, a joint research and innovation program among 19 Euro-Med countries on water and agri-food systems in the Mediterranean basin has been established. PRIMA aims to develop innovative solutions and to promote their adoption, to improve the efficiency and sustainability of food production and water supply, with the ultimate goal of supporting a well-being and socio-economic development in the Mediterranean in a context of enhanced Euro-Mediterranean cooperation.

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