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Twinning for the advancement of data-driven multidisciplinary research into hydro-climatic extremes to support risk assessment and decision making

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EXtremeClimTwin (Twinning for the advancement of data-driven multidisciplinary research into hydro-climatic extremes to support risk assessment and decision making)

Reporting period: 2020-11-01 to 2022-05-31

Increasing heat extremes constitute a major risk for societies in southeast Europe. When combined with reduced summer precipitation or drought, these conditions can increase health risks and harm agriculture. UNSPMF recognized the need to improve detection and attribution capacities for extreme hydro-climate events through collaborations and training with leading EU institutions. Top research groups from Climate Risk Analysis (CRA, Germany), Loughborough University, Department of Geography and Environment (LU, UK), and CICERO (Norway) are helping UNSPMF realize its full scientific potential.
Having competent researchers to manage hydro-climate extremes is crucial to society, especially in SEE, which lacks a skilled scientific task force. EXtremeClimTwin's importance to society is strengthening research capabilities, timely solutions based on state-of-the-art research, and constant conversation between stakeholders. Climate change impacts are amplifying the quantity and scope of risks in southeast Europe, therefore expanding research skills, knowledge, and innovation is crucial. The EXtremeClimTwin will encourage transparency and education, information exchange, and public awareness; interact directly with practitioners and important stakeholders in the sector; and build sustainable strategies to strengthen an inclusive environment for continued development.
The overall objective of EXtremeClimTwin is to sustainably strengthen research and enhance networking skills in the field of hydro-climate extremes between UNSPMF and EU leading counterparts CRA, LU, and CICERO. Specific objectives are:
Obj1. To raise the research profile and scientific excellence of UNSPMF;
Obj2. To enhance the current and scale up the overall research capacity of the UNSPMF in the field of temperature extremes;
Obj3. To significantly increase research skills, knowledge, and innovation of the UNSPMF in the field of hydrological extremes;
Obj4. To unlock the potential of Early Stage Researchers (ESR) at UNSPMF;
Obj5. To facilitate strategic linking of UNSPMF with internationally-leading research institutions through sustainable partnerships which provide transfer of knowledge, results and methodologies.
The work performed in the first reporting period (RP1) was successfully implemented according to the amended GA despite the Covid 19 pandemic. Apart from WP1 and WP6 (Dissemination & Outreach activities), the work foreseen in three core work packages was executed according to the initial plan and amended GA.
WP1 - Project coordination and management is focused on achieving specific Obj5. Main goal is to develop a Roadmap and training plan for building efficient institutional research administrative support – D1.3. First activity was initial needs analysis essential for tailor-made training scheme for UNSPMF staff, achieved mainly through surveys, online bilateral meetings. Online Workshop 1 (86 participants) focused on Proposal Development, Grants and Contracts, Submission procedure, LU internal research excellence strategy known as CALIBRE framework. Online Workshop 2 (65 participants) focused on Internal communications around research, celebrating success and Internal approval and peer review processes. Webinar 1 focused on utilizing the EU Funding & tenders Portal, find/identify the right Horizon Europe call, utilizing received Evaluation Summary Reports. Webinar 2 head a central topic of Academic Training. UNSPMF research support staff visited LU and (1) orientated themselves with the LU REO structure and team (2) introduced to the LU research framework (CALIBRE) (3) met with LU REO strategies in regard to various topics (4) worked alongside LU research support staff to compile the upcoming D1.3.
WP2 was focused on Defining the scientific and innovation roadmap connected to Obj1. The WP2 is comprised of four tasks all aimed at establishing the Scientific Strategy, a document needed by UNSPMF to develop scientific excellence in the field of hydroclimate extremes. Due to Covid travel restrictions, the activities were delivered online and helped in the systematic review of the existing knowledge gaps at UNSPMF and identification of short- and long-term research needs at UNSPMF. All partners contributed to strategy development through different activities such as: online surveys (18 completed questionaries from UNSPMF staff) and online visit.
WP3 - Enhancing scientific and networking activities for excellence in research of temperature extremes aimed at achieving Obj2. First workshop (29 participants) was focused on climate models and reanalysis, climate extremes, working with netcdf files, data homogeneity and stationarity, workflows for weather station data and climate time series analysis and trend estimation. The third workshop (18 people), focused on temporal scaling of sub-daily extreme rainfall, time series of extreme, projections of extremes. Activity involved 2 UNSPMF researchers visiting CRA focusing on statistical approaches for temperature and hydrological extremes. Senior researchers from CRA and CICERO visited UNSPMF to contribute to ongoing technical analysis and articles as a result of the prior workshops.
WP4 - Increasing scientific skills and improving research capacities in the field of hydrological extremes is contributing to Obj3. SR Workshop 2 covered sessions on (1) statistical downscaling of extreme weather events (2) the statistical attribution of extreme heat events (3) dynamical downscaling (4) attribution of extreme events and (5) advanced statistical analysis of time series. Next activity was the visit of LU, that built on previous knowledge exchange and technical training. Prof. Dr. Robert Wilby gave a lecture on adapting to climate change in practice. UNSPMF researchers visited LU and focused on (1) downscaling extreme rainfall in SEE (2) evaluating factors triggering landslide occurrence in Southern Serbia.
WP5 - Sustainable linking for excellence is led by UNSPMF. WP5 is focused on ESRs in order to ensure the sustainability of the research network among partner institutions. The First hybrid workshop on climate data analysis for climate extremes covered topics on climate time series analysis, hydro-climate information sources and applications as well as workflows for downloading and manipulating weather station data, introduction to climate models, climate extremes and manipulation of netcdf files. The Second ESR Workshop focused on statistical and dynamical downscaling the physical drivers of extreme heat, attribution of extreme events and advanced climate time series analysis.
Collaboration with three leading European partners ensure that the UNSPMF scientists work on development of climate change and climate extremes research goes beyond the state-of-the-art by applying advanced methods in detection and attribution of extreme events in SEE. EXtremeClimTwin will help UNSPMF become the regional climate extremes leader in SEE. This partnership has produced 9 publications on SEE hydroclimate extremes. UNSPMF will continue to develop online courses and organize impactful events such as workshops, info days, and hackathons, which are important for building internal capacity in climate extremes in the research community. Highly qualified researchers well-versed in communication methods will boost UNSPMF's status as a top institution for climate data research and extreme climate events in the region.
Hybrid SR Workshop2
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Visit from CRA, LU and CICERO to UNSPMF
Short term scientific mission from UNSPMF to CRA