CRESCENDO-ISIMIP joint workshop on selecting Earth system model simulation for driving multi-sectorial impact models

By Stefan Lange (PIK) and Colin Jones (UNIVLEEDS), June 2019.

CRESCENDO contributed to the annual cross-sectoral workshop of the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP, www.isimip.org) which took place in Paris on 4-7 June 2019. While the first two days of the workshop focused on ISIMIP-specific topics including recent and planned studies on impact model evaluation and development, future projections and climate change attribution, the third day was devoted to the climate input data ISIMIP provides to its impact modelling teams for driving their impact models.

In this context, problems of ESM selection and bias adjustment for the upcoming 3rd simulation round of ISIMIP were discussed with experts from CRESCENDO and associated projects. Options for enhancing the spatial resolution of the climate input data were discussed, as were opportunities and challenges related to seasonal and decadal impact predictions based on initialized climate predictions in future ISIMIP rounds.

Inputs to these discussions were provided by CRESCENDO members; Sonia Seneviratne, Colin Jones, Stefan Lange, Ruth Lorenz and Grigory Nikulin. In addition, CRESCENDO facilitated contributions by Julien Nicolas and Carlo Buontempo from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, as well as Laurent Terray and Rein Haarsma, from our sister project PRIMAVERA. The exchange between the climate and impacts modelling communities was lively and fruitful. The workshop laid the foundation for future cooperation and mutual consultancy for all four topics discussed. This discussion will form the basis of a forthcoming project deliverable providing a set of recommendations on best practices for selecting future climate projection data for driving impact models.

ISIMIP-CRESCENDO workshop Panelists