RA VI WG on Climate and Hydrology Expert Group Hydrology report to RA VI MG/7, 5 – 6 February 2013

1. RA VI WG on Climate and HydrologyExpert Group Hydrology report toRA VI MG/7, 5 – 6 February 2013 Markku Puupponen

2. Expert Group Hydrology activities2010 - 2013 Task Team Hydrometry Task Team Potential Extreme Floods Task Team Water Scarcity and Drought (linked with EG Climate Task Team Drought Management) Task Team Flood Forecasting and Warning Task Team Hydro-meteorological Early Warning Systems Reporter on Climate and Water

3. TT Hydrometry(Dominique Berod, Switzerland) TT has had two main targets Survey on hydrological monitoring networks Contributions received from 30 RA VI NHSs Summary available on WMO website; supplement in progress RA VI Hydrology Forum, Koblenz May 2012 Attended by 60 experts: 28 RA VI members and 8 international organizations Agreement on new activities to support regional hydrology and hydro-meteorological services Presentation of WG-CH / EGC work plan with focus on RCCs Final report available on WMO website The Hydrology Forum has in fact replaced the original TT that has not been active enough; this activity calls for wide community support

5. RA VI Hydrology Forum 2012 activities- documents and follow-up on WMO website 1 Operational maintenance of hydrological networks and their security regulations (Vasko Stojov, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) 2 Inventory of monitoring needs; network optimization and strategic planning (Dominique Bérod, Switzerland) 3 Case studies on network design practices (Elise Trondsen, Norway) 4 Data management: harmonization of methodologies, quality control and access to data (Harry Dixon, UK) 5 Positioning of the RA VI hydrological community in respect to decision makers and other expert and science communities (Markku Puupponen, Finland) 6 Providing an overview on how actual challenges are addressed (Ann Calver, UK) 7 Identifying national focal points (Tommaso Abrate, WMO Secretariat) 8 Improving formalized data sharing procedures with regard to data centres; simplify data exchange for day to day operational requirements of NHSs (Ulrich Looser, Germany) 9 Joint resource mobilization for enhancing cooperation in the region (Johannes Cullmann, Germany)

6. TT Potential Extreme Floods(Bogdan Ozga-Zielinski, Poland) TT has produced three publications: Guidelines for Flood Frequency Analysis – Long Measurement Series of River Discharge (available on WMO HOMS) Report on River-flooding potential in terms of the safety of water management structures and flooding risk - Introduction to methodology (distribution to RA VI NHSs) Report on methods for computing the maximum discharges with given probability of exceedence where discharge measurement data are incomplete (will be available on WMO HOMS) TT had plans for one more publication; that will probably not be published in the frames of this Work Programme. TT Leader has acted as a link between WG-CH EGH and the EurAqua network

7. During 2012, TT activities were developed according to the work plan regarding: • state of the art review of WS&D observatories; • design of a regional drought forecasting system; • analyses of drought impacts in river flow and ecology (e-flow); • improved regional coordination (focus on WMO and EU); • Strong collaboration between the TT and the EU Expert Network on WS&D has supported the work plan due to sharing of information and methodological approaches. This has also promoted the co-operation of EU and non-EU countries in the Region. In particular, existing and new drought observatories are being developed in close coordination with the EDO. In 2011, the TT and the EU EN organized a WS&D workshop in Venice, and in consequence, new RA VI experts joined the EU EN work. The themes of drought forecasting and e-flow have been discussed on the basis of preliminary studies and will be treated in more detail during 2013. • Integration of drought related activities within WG CH (TT-WS&D / TT-DM) has not been successful, even if one joint meeting was organized. TT Water Scarcity and Drought(Giuseppina Monacelli, Italy)

8. TT Flood Forecasting and Warning(Ilmar Karro, Sweden) TT has produced annual reports on methodological developments in the field of FFW with focus on: Probabilities, uncertainties and verification Flash floods and low floods Development of the Pan-European EFAS system Three reports have been published and are available on RA VI website One more report will be produced during 2013 TT FFW has organized one meeting and performed wellas a Task Team

9. TT Hydro-meteorological Early Warning Systems (Caroline Wittwer, France) TT HMEWS work plan has four components Mapping of current practices System descriptions has been collected from 10 countries Dissemination of the mapping results on the internet Target timetable spring 2013 Summary of good practices Target timetable summer 2013 Collaboration with other WMO programmes The work of TT HMEWS has been presented at DRR, FFI and Associated Programme on Flood Management meetings Link for coordination with WG SDP / TT WARN has been created, but so far there has been little need for joint development – mainly due to a long stand-still of the TT HMEWS activities

10. Report on Climate and Water(Esko Kuusisto, Finland) Summary of climate change challenges to NHSs Response to a questionnaire from 19 RA VI members Main components reported: organizational issues; estimated hydrological impacts of CC; adaptation measures; importance of various sectors; user communities; are the present organizational arrangements adequate; impact of hydrological information to decision making Main results presented at WG-CH / 2 in 2011 Summary report available on RA VI website

11. 3rd WG-CH meetingHelsinki, Finland, 12 – 14 March 2013 Summary of WG outcomes and planning of reporting Assessment of the currentwork programme, new RA VI structure, operationalenvironment and regionalneeds Planning of the next work programme and RA VI Session documents