Validating and Integrating Downscaling Methods for Climate Change Research
slideshow 4

VALUE

Our understanding of global climate change is mainly based on General Circulation Models (GCMs) with a relatively coarse resolution. Since climate change impacts are mainly experienced on regional scales, high-resolution climate change scenarios need to be derived from GCM simulations by downscaling. Validation of downscaling methods is crucial, but several aspects have not been systematically assessed: temporal variability from sub-daily to decadal time scales including climate change, extreme events, spatial coherence and variability, and inter-variable consistency together with the related uncertainties.

The COST Action VALUE (2012-2015) will provide a European network to validate and develop downscaling methods and improve the collaboration between the dispersed research communities and with stakeholders. The Action will sytematically compare the different downscaling approaches and assess the aspects listed above.

VALUE will deliver an assessment of end-user needs, a benchmark data set and pseudo reality for the validation, a set of validation measures, the validation of state-of-the-art methods and guidelines for stakeholders. It will guide the development of improved regional climate change scenarios for Europe and thereby be relevant for European societies and politics.

The main objective of VALUE is to establish a network to systematically validate and improve downscaling methods for climate change research. VALUE will in particular deliver an assessment of end user requirements, an inventory of downscaling methods, a set of validation measures and tailed guidelines for the use of downscaling methods. The validation will ultimately guide the development of improved local and regional-scale climate change scenarios for Europe for the 21st century, based upon the best performing downscaling methods. The aim of VALUE will be achieved by addressing the following objectives:

  • To integrate previously unconnected research communities, especially those of DDS and SDS within the climate community, and statisticians with the climate community itself.
  • To coordinate the improvement and development of methods in an inter-disciplinary environment.
  • To guide the application of well-performing methods to provide scenarios for regional climate change in Europe during the 21st century.
  • To provide cross-disciplinary training for young researchers.
  • To improve the dialogue between downscaling researchers and stakeholders, and to inform the latter about the results of the Action.

Consult here the official parties in the COST web.

Namesort icon Members
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Centre Européen de Recherche et de Formation Avancée en Calcul Scientifique
Department of Statistical Science, University College London
Eotvos Lorand University Department of Meteorology
Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb
Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss
Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR)
Hungarian Meteorological Service
Hydrosciences-Montpellier
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science (IACETH)
Institute of Geodynamics, Romanian Academy
Institute of Geography
Institute of Meteorology and Water Management
Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling, University of Warsaw
Kaunas University of Technology
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement
National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrlogy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrlogy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrlogy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrlogy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Porto University - Institute of Geography
Santander Meteorology Group (University of Cantabria - UC and Spanish National Research Council - CSIC)
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham
Servizio IdroMeteoClima - Agenzia Regionale Prevenzione e Ambiente Emilia-Romagna
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)
The Norwegian Meteorological Institute
University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine
University of Lodz
University of Oslo
Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz, Austria

Prof. Dr. Douglas Maraun
GEOMAR | Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Westshore Campus
Düsternbrooker Weg 20 
D-24105 Kiel 
Germany
Phone: +49-431 600-4057
Fax: +49-431 600-4052
e-mail:  value2012(at)geomar.de