Third International Conference on ENSO

posted 20 Nov 2014, 13:11 by Bodeker Scientific   [ updated 20 Nov 2014, 13:13 ]

Bridging the gaps between Global ENSO Science and regional processes, extremes and impacts.

Penehuro Lefale attended the 3rd International Conference on ENSO, held at the Auditorium of the Centro Cultural “Liberador Simon Bolivar” ex MACC-Malecom, in  Guayaquil, Ecuador from 12 to 14 November. The conference was organised by CIFFEN(International Research Centre on El Nino Phenomenon), with support from WMO, WCRP, INAMHI and Sectratiat de Gestion de Riesgos.  The goal of the Conference was to review progress on the science of ENSO and related regional processes in order to improve the prediction of regional impacts ; and to contribute to development of decision support frameworks that allow timely and appropriate planning and response at national and local levels. 

The conference was organised in six plenary sessions for oral and poster presentations under the following themes:
  1. ENSO dynamics
  2. ENSO and other modes of climate variability (intra-seasonal, decadal, centennial)
  3. ENSO modelling and prediction 
  4. ENSO and Regional processes 
  5. ENSO impacts and 
  6. ENSO global, regional and national information services. 
In addition to the plenary sessions, a ‘Climate Services’ stage was set up within the venue where selected ENSO Conference participants presented their work on climate services and related topic, project or initiative. An International exhibition “Climate & Society” was also part of the Conference. The exhibit allows different weather and climate centres, science and technology institutions, the private sector and environmental NGOS and commercial agencies to promote their activities, products and services. 

One of the major questions during the conference was “why the “big” El Nino of 2014 that was predicted at the beginning of the year did not eventuate?” A number of ‘suspects’ that may have contributed to the failure of the climate models were discussed. These include, but not limited to, inter-decadal oscillation, weak westerly wind bursts, ENSO not yet incorporated into the models. Findings from ongoing research on the impacts of ENSO on sectors (e.g. fishing, health, agriculture, energy and the insurance) were well received.  

Lefale was invited in his role as Chair of the AMS STAC on MOSH. He announced during the Conference the venue and time of the next AMS sponsored 11th ICSHMO, to be held in Santiago, Chile from 5 to 9 October 2015.