The World Climate Program: Collaboration and Communication on a Global Scale

Abstract

This article discusses the rationale and history of the World Climate Program (WCP) as a prime example of gains in scientific knowledge achievable only through collaboration and communication on a worldwide basis. The WCP is managed jointly by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environmental Program, both of which are specialized agencies of the United Nations, and by the International Council of Scientific Unions. This unique arrangement has both given strength and presented problems in getting governments and scientists from all over the world to work together in the pursuit of program goals. Vital to this work are the tools made available by contemporary communications technology, particularly supercomputers and satellites. Nevertheless, the availability and usefulness of those tools does not supplant the more basic ground work that has to be laid and maintained in order to conduct global research. The necessary groundwork requires intra- and intergovernmental collaboration, and also continued progress in the underlying science base. The WCP is composed of the World Climate Data Program, the World Climate Applications Program, the World Climate Impact Program, and the World Climate Research Program.

Architectures of adaptive integration in large collaborative projects

“…The vision and supporting objectives drive project architecture and are continually used by project leadership and members to keep the work focused and to determine whether new opportunities contribute to or distract from the project purpose (Mattessich and Monsey 1992). Goals and objectives must be concrete, realistic, and attainable, as well Ecology and Society 20(4): 5 http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol20/iss4/art5/ as clear to all team members, to encourage joint spheres of activity and ensure unity of purpose (Bierly 1988, Mattessich and Monsey 1992, Schauppenlehner-Kloyber and Penker 2015. Agreement among the team on goals enables the integration and synthesis phases of the project (Bergmann et al 2012, Cornell andParker 2013).…”

Electronic Mail and Scientific Communication

“…For example, Rainwater and Smeeding (1988) noted that the ease of access to, and low cost of, telecommunication technologies are enabling &dquo;international collaborative research projects and colleagueship to reach their full potential&dquo; (p. 105). In another example, Bierly (1988) pointed out the importance of telecommunication technologies in studying climate and noted that the World Climate Program is a &dquo;prime example of gains in scientific knowledge achievable only through collaboration and communication on a worldwide basis&dquo; (p. 106). And finally, Hiltz and Turoff (1978) predicted that EMail (or what they initially called &dquo;computerized conferencing&dquo;) would increase connections between members of invisible colleges and decrease the isolation of scientists who are in geographically remote institutions.…”