cc: Manola Brunet-India <mbi@fll.urv.es>, Enric Aguilar <eaa@fll.urv.es>
date: Wed Feb 25 11:53:56 2004
from: Phil Jones <p.jones@uea.ac.uk>
subject: Fwd: Re: C & northern S. American workshop
to: Thomas C Peterson <Thomas.C.Peterson@noaa.gov>

    Dear Tom,
        Back from a sunny Tarragona.  Both Manola and Enric are very happy about being
    involved in the northern S. American workshop.  So it would seem best to add their
    emails in future exchanges about the meeting.  I said I expected the meeting to take
    place in the late autumn. Most of their teaching commitments take place between Feb and
    June.
    Cheers
    Phil

     Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 17:24:47 -0600
     From: Patricia Ramirez Obando <probando@racsa.co.cr>
     Subject: Re: C & northern S. American workshop
     Sender: probando@racsa.co.cr
     To: Thomas C Peterson <Thomas.C.Peterson@noaa.gov>
     Cc: Francisco Guerrero <fguerrero.met@ineter.gob.ni>,
      Mauricio Rosales <mrosales.met@ineter.gob.ni>,
      Javier Garcia Romano <jgarcia@ibw.com.ni>, Phil Jones <p.jones@uea.ac.uk>,
      Michael Taylor - UWI Jamaica <michael.taylor@uwimona.edu.jm>,
      Albert Martis <albmartis@meteo.an>
     X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106
     Dear Tom,|

     Thanks for your quick reaction and for including Phil, Albert and Michael; fom now on I
     will include also, Mauricio Rosales (Nicaragua's NWS Director), Javier Garcia (INETER's
     Director General  Advisor) and  Francisco Guerrero (Climate Aplications Unit),  who are
     already aware about the idea and have expressed INETER's willingness to host the
     worskhop.

     Let me react to your comments:
     Funding in fact is tight; based on our experiennce organizing meetings in the Region,
     average cost of participants from Central America or Mexico in a 5 days event is around
     $1400 including air ticket, lodging, meals and terminal expenses, or 1450 if you include
     insurance. Participants from Vemezuela, Guyana or Colombia could cost around $2000.
     Once we have the exact dates,  I am sure  our colleagues in Nicaragua will help us
     finding the best deal in lodging and meal services but to be in the safe side, these are
     the numbers we should use for budgeting.

     Language  is an issue we have to think about carefully since that amount limits the
     posibilities for interpretation (Dayly cost for  interpretation  in Managua is around
     $800, including  interpreters and equipment) . Most of the potential participants have
     spanish as mother tongue, Spanish then seems to be the logical language for the
     workshop, provided instructors could speak the language too; however, we have to
     consider that it will be a limiting factor for participants  from Guyana and Belize.On
     the other hand, have English as workshop's language may signify a serious limitation to
     have the  right persons participating , since even if many colleagues in our region can
     comunicate in English, their comand in the language is not enough as to follow  a week
     instruction in it, but we can check with the potential participants.

     I agree in having the organizing Commitee small in order to easier decisions, so from
     our part it will be only  a person from INETER and myself.

     I think facilities in INETER are adecuate, however I would like to ask them to describe
     them for you.

      That's it for the moment,

     Regards

     Patricia Ramirez,  M.Sc.
     Directora de Proyectos en Meteorologa y Clima
     Comit Regional de Recursos Hidrulicos del Itsmo Centroamericann (CRRH/SICA)
     Tel: (506) 231 5791 ext 102
     Fax: (506) 296 0047
     [1]probando@aguayclima.com

     Fax: (506) 296 0047

     Apdo 1527- 1200
     Pavas, Costa Rica



          ----- Original Message -----
          From: [2]Thomas C Peterson
          To: [3]Patricia Ramirez Obando
          Cc: [4]Albert Martis ; [5]Michael Taylor - UWI Jamaica ; [6]Phil Jones
          Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 1:20 PM
          Subject: C & northern S. American workshop
          Dear Patricia -
          Thank you very much for your encouraging words.  They sound firm enough that I
          thought I should expand the recipient list to include:
           - Phil Jones who is part of the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection, Monitoring
          and Indices and is interested in participating in the workshop.
           - Albert Martis whom we've discussed the workshop with for some time.
           - And Michael Taylor from the UWI who hosted the previous workshop in the Caribbean
          who not only has insights from the past workshop but has expressed an interest in
          this workshop as well (he and I have been exchanging emails on it).
          There are plenty of specific details we should discuss:
          First off, funding and overhead that you mentioned.  At US$40K, our funding will be
          tight enough that we probably can't invite everyone we would like.  Your institution
          charging 10% overhead will make that somewhat tighter.  But that is still a smaller
          overhead than I could have found here in the U.S.  So I don't anticipate that being
          a serious problem as long as we recognize it up front.
          Dates:  Do you have any dates you would recommend?  The southern South American
          workshop is planned to last for 5 & 1/2 days.
          Facilities:   Will the facilities at INETER ([7]http://www.ineter.gob.ni) be
          adequate?  Could you describe them a bit for us?
          Including Mexico:  Since you recommended including them, that is fine with me.
          Conference language:  As someone who speaks only English and FORTRAN, I'm always in
          awe of multi-linguists.  Of the people you thought might be appropriate to invite,
          how many also speak English?
          Organizing committee:  How big would be appropriate (the southern South American
          workshop only has 3 of us on the committee)?  Among the appropriate people include,
          I say all or most (if some are too busy) of those cc'd.  Plus someone from INETER?
          Also Lucie Vincent of Canada has expressed a strong interest in helping and
          Environment Canada has offered to pay part of her expense.
          I think that's enough questions for now.  Comments from anyone would be appreciated.
          Warm regards,
                   Tom
          Patricia Ramirez Obando wrote:

          Dear Tom,

          Sorry, wrong key and the message went unfinished. Here I go again.

          Thanks for your message. I think we met in AR IV-RCC meeting in Miami.

          Regarding the regional cliamte workshop I am now in position to confirm you that our
          organization , CRRH, as the regional organization in Central America asigned by the
          governments with the task of coordinate all activities related with weather, climate
          and water resources, is interested in become the organizer.

          CRRH and its member organizations in 7 countries in Central America has climate
          change as one of its working  areas, many of us have been involved or contributed to
          regional information gathering fo IPCC s SAR and TAR processes. Because of  the work
          the organization had develop in the Region for 35 years we certainly know the
          weather services, climate and  climate change commnunities, and therefore we are in
          good position to help identify  people to invite and data availability in the
          different countries; also we have good experience  working in the organization of
          this type of trainning events and workshops with NOAA, WMO, IAI, IDA, OAS, among
          others.

          As regional organizers we can take care of invitations,  travel and local
          organization and all administrative management necessary, however the organization
          charge a 10 % overhead over  the moneys managed through it.

          Regarding the place for the Wshp, the Instituto Nicaraguense de Estudios
          Territoriales (INETER), that host the National Weather Service, had expressed their
          willingness to be hold it.   The dates however we may have to adjust them a little,
          due to other important events in the Region already programed.

          Referent to the countries if resources allow it , we would like to suggest to
          inlcude Mexico, since we have a good working relation with the group working in
          climate change in the National Weather Service who are those who have long term
          data.

          Hoping to have the oppportunity to go further with this iniciative, I remain at your
          disposal for any question or  doubt you may have.

          Sincerely


          Patricia Ramirez,  M.Sc.
          Directora de Poryectos en Meteorologa y Clima
          Comit Regional de Recursos Hidrulicos del Itsmo Centroamericann (CRRH/SICA)
          Tel: (506) 231 5791 ext 102
          Fax: (506) 296 0047
          [8]probando@aguayclima.com

          Fax: (506) 296 0047

          Apdo 1527- 1200
          Pavas, Costa Rica


          ----- Original Message -----
          From: [9]Thomas C Peterson
          To: [10]probando@racsa.co.cr
          Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2004 1:24 PM
          Subject: Re: Regional Climate Change Workshops Update
          Dear Patricia,
          I used an on-line translator (see below in case you're curious) to understand what
          you wrote Albert as I only speak English and FORTRAN.  I don't remember whether
          we've met, but I do remember hearing you give an excellent talk a few years ago in
          Geneva.
          [11]http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/wmo/ccl/index.html
          This web site provide a link to some information on the regional climate change
          workshops.  We've held on in the Caribbean a few years ago and are well on our way
          to organizing one in Brazil in August hosted by Luiz Molion.  The one in Brazil will
          include the countries from Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador south.  The workshop we had
          discussed with Albert (who attended the Caribbean workshop) would be for French
          Guiana to Columbia and north to Guatemala.  We didn't include Belize because they
          participated in the Caribbean workshop.  And we didn't include Mexico (though this
          is open to discussion) because they have other collaboration with the US which
          should be a different route to get the same analysis accomplished.
          The plan is for an approximately one week workshop where individuals bring long-term
          daily station data with them.  The workshop is about half seminars on climate
          change, data quality control, data homogeneity, etc. and half hands-on analysis of
          indices of extremes derived from the data.  In the Caribbean workshop we found some
          people who didn't trust their data because it showed a sudden jump in 1976, started
          trusting them when they found the island to both the north and south of them showing
          the same exact feature.  So it really helps to have a group of countries together.
          The end product would be a result of careful post workshop analysis of the time
          series and include an article on changes in extremes for the region (the web page
          above can take you to the paper from the Caribbean workshop) and have those results
          fit into a global analysis contributing to the next IPCC assessment.  We hope that
          all of the derived indices will be able to be released and at least some of the
          station data (that is a good side benefit but not a requirement).
          I mention "we" a lot.  Primarily I'm talking about the joint CCl/CLIVAR Expert Team
          on Climate Change Detection, Monitoring and Indices.  For this workshop, the ET
          person chosen to help organize it is Phil Jones.  I am not a member of that team,
          but I am chair of the OPAG they report to.  Also, I'm the individual responsible for
          the funding that can be used to support the workshop, so too would be involved.  We
          have US$40,000 put aside for the workshop and $10,000 for post workshop analysis
          (probably by me at my instituion, though that isn't certain).
          The local host would be expected to be able to line up a room for participants to
          meet in.  It would not require internet access but computers would be helpful as
          this is hands-on.  However, enough participants may be able to bring laptops that
          this won't be a problem (we only need one computer for every 2 or 3 participants as
          the work seems to be done best in teams).  The local host would also line up hotel
          accomodations.  While not required, ideally we'd like a host who (1) knows the
          appropriate people from the region to invite, (2) is willing to make the person to
          person contact involved in inviting the people and making sure they will be able to
          bring data with them, (3) is working in an institution where holding such a workshop
          would be seen as valued part of their mission rather than as one more task to
          distract them from their true calling, and (4) would be able to take in $40,000 from
          GCOS and pay hotel bills, purchase plane tickets, etc. for the participants.  These
          latter items are the ideal and we can work around any problems one way or another.
          But we really want to involve local hosts who think that this work -- helping
          improve regional climate change analyses and getting their regional change
          documented in IPCC -- is important and worthwhile.
          I've probably wrote more than I should have, but I wanted to be able to answer your
          most important questions in one pass.  Do you have any questions that this didn't
          answer?
          Do you think this would be an interesting project to get involved in?
          Regards,
                      Tom Peterson
          Valued Martin,
          If we would have interest to organize the regional workshop on change
          climatic for Mesoamerica. I did consultations and the Nicaraguan Institute of
          Territorial studies of Nicaragua (UNETHER) it would be interested in being
          host, only they wanted to know that it would have to assume commitments
          institution hostess and on everything that type of facility of team of
          I calculate, communications and access to Internet would have to have the place for
          the Workshop.
          I stay in expectation of your response,
          Many greetings
          Albert Martis wrote:

Muchsima gracias Particia por tu esfuerzos.


          Te voy a poner en contacto con Tom Peterson de NCDC (organizador de el
          Taller).
          El tambin estaba en Miami durante e meeting de los Expertos Climatolgicos.
          Si hay una manera que te puedo ayudar lo har con mucho gusto.
          Albert
          Dear Tom,
          I have got excellent news from Particia de CRRH.
          She will explain the details to you.
          Albert
          -----Original Message-----
          From: [12]probando@racsa.co.cr [[13]mailto:probando@racsa.co.cr]
          Sent: Monday, February 02, 2004 10:52 AM
          To: Albert Martis
          Subject: Re: Regional Climate Change Workshops Update
          Apreciado Martin,
          Si tendriamos interes  en organizar el taller regional sobre cambio
          climatico para Mesoamerica. Hice consultas y  el Instituto Nicaraguense de
          Estudios Territoriales de Nicaragua (INETER) estaria interesado en ser
          anfitrion, solo quisieran saber que compromisos tendria que asumir la
          institucion anfitriona y sobre todo que tipo de facilidades de equipo de
          computo,comunicaciones y acceso a internet tendria que tener el lugar para
          el Taller.
          Quedo a la espera de tu respuesta,
          Muchos saludos
          Patricia Ramirez O. , MSc.
          Directora de Proyectos en Meteorologa y Clima
          Comit Regional de Recursos Hidrulicos del Itsmo Centroamericano (CRRH)
          Sistema de Integracin Centroamericano (SICA)
          Tel: 506 231 5791 ext 102
          Fax: 506 296 0047
          [14]crrhcr@racsa.co,.cr
          [15]probando@racsa.co.cr
          Podrias ----- Original Message -----
          From: "Albert Martis" [16]<albmartis@meteo.an>
          To: [17]<probando@racsa.co.cr>
          Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 12:39 PM
          Subject: FW: Regional Climate Change Workshops Update


-----Original Message-----


          From: Thomas C Peterson [[18]mailto:Thomas.C.Peterson@noaa.gov]
          Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 11:48 AM
          To: Francis Zwiers; [19]zxy@soc.soton.ac.uk Zhongwei Yan - CLIVAR; Valery
          Detemmerman; Paul Llanso - WMO; Howard Diamond; Alan R Thomas; Hassan
          Virji - START; Mike Manton; Luiz Molion; David Karoly; Phil Jones;
          Albert Martis; Byron Gleason; Lisa Alexander; Bruce Hewitson
          Subject: Regional Climate Change Workshops Update
          I know many people are interested in encouraging the regional climate
          change workshops so I thought I should send out a quick update on the
          status of upcoming regional climate change workshops linked to the
          CCl/CLIVAR ETCCDMI. To the best of my current understanding, we have
          three workshops where firm planning is underway:
          1. Southern Africa
          Date: 31 May - 4 June, 2004
          Host and organizer: Bruce Hewitson, University of Capetown
          Probable additional technical support from, Ive heard, Lisa Alexander
          Countries to be included: I believe there is not a firm list but is
          rather somewhat flexible based partly on availability of data
          For more information see his web page:
          [20]http://www.csag.uct.ac.za/etccdmi/
          2. Southern South America
          Date: August 9-14, 2004
          Host: Luiz Molion, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Alagoas, Brazil
          Organizing Committee: Luiz Molion, David Karoly and Tom Peterson
          Probable additional technical support from Malcolm Haylock
          Countries to be included: Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay,
          Uruguay, Argentina and Chile
          3. Central America and northern South America
          Date: October 25-29, 2004 (dates just finalized today; these are after
          the hurricane season and before the tourist season raises hotel prices)
          Host: Albert Martis, Meteorological Service Netherlands Antilles &
          Aruba, Curaao, Netherlands Antilles
          Organizing Committee: Albert Martis, Phil Jones, Tom Peterson
          Probable additional technical support from Bryon Gleason.
          Countries to be included: French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela,
          Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and
          Guatemala. Belize is excluded because they participated in the Caribbean
          workshop. Mexico is under consideration.
          Depending on funding, two additional workshops are also being discussed:
          4. Southwestern Asia
          Tentative date: May 2005
          Host: Serhat Sensoy, Turkish State Met. Service, Kalaba /Ankara, Turkey
          5. Asian Plateau and surrounding countries
          Plans for these latter two workshops are not well developed as the focus
          has been on the first three and, indeed, we should probably make sure
          the first three are well on their way before seriously addressing
          additional workshops. Given what I know about current and
          tentative/potential support from a variety of sources (e.g., START,
          CLIVAR, WMO, U.S. State Department), the first three workshops should be
          able to become realities. If we can be careful with our resources and
          acquire moderate additional support for this series of workshops, I'm
          hopeful that well be able to support at least a 4th workshop as well.
          Synthesis: In addition to each workshop producing an article describing
          regional changes in extreme indices, Lisa Alexander is planning a global
          indices article that will include the results of these workshops along
          with other data analysis, in time for the next IPCC.
          Software: Byron Gleason is planning an update to CLIMDEX. His planned
          changes sound very helpful.
          That's the current status to the best of my understanding. It sounds
          pretty exciting to me: plenty of interesting and worth while working
          ahead of us.
          Best wishes,
          Tom






   Prof. Phil Jones
   Climatic Research Unit        Telephone +44 (0) 1603 592090
   School of Environmental Sciences    Fax +44 (0) 1603 507784
   University of East Anglia
   Norwich                          Email    p.jones@uea.ac.uk
   NR4 7TJ
   UK
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