Objective The Action has five main objectives:to compile a data base of daily and monthly averaged meteorological variables for a network of sites across Europe; to devise methods of spatially interpolating meteorological data, test the methods, and then interpolate the data for all Europe; to collect data on soils, land cover, agricultural parameters and physiographic features for Europe, from existing digital and mapped sources; to adopt and test models of agroclimatic potential, including models of crop and pest suitability, evapotranspiration and soil water availability and crop productivity;to map present-day and possible future agroclimatic potential in Europe using GIS with a range of agroclimatic models and scenarios of future environmental conditions. The ultimate intention is that the outputs of the Action could be used in agricultural planning and policy making for the whole of Europe, from Iceland to the Urals and from northern Scandinavia to the Mediterranean. Current statusAt its first meeting the Managing Committee (MC) examined the five main activity areas composing the Action and decided as follows: meteorological data: during the preparatory phase of the Action, a study contract has been awarded to carry out a survey on the existence and conditions of access to international data bases in Europe. This survey will be completed and results published, after review by the MC. spatial interpolation: information will be gathered on methods used in the different countries; other environmental data: JRC will provide information on the availability of relevant data, at national as well as international level; models of agroclimatic potential: a survey will be carried out on existing models; a document will be prepared on the relations between agroclimatology and environment; mapping of agroclimatic potential: this aspect will be considered at a later stage of the Action.In addition and with a view to assessing different agricultural policies to face a possible climate change, a review will be done of available climate generators applicable to Europe and on the use of climate models. Finally countries will be asked to define their priorities with respect to the adoption of some pilot projects to be carried out during the Action.Based on these decisions:the final report on data survey has been approved and will be published;the meteorological data directory, including access conditions, will be updated and published on a regular basis,first workplan has been adopted, at the 3rd MC meeting, will concentrate on:the use of modelling for assessing risks, priority to be given to forest fires at regional scale; scaling problems (interpolations/extrapolations); monitoring climate change; pilot studies on water balance, growth conditions and establishment of a data base as an aim for plant protection as well as a climate change tracer.Work plannedThe work will concentrate on comparison of Spacialisation Algorithms. A joint project will be carried out between Finland, France, Italy and The Netherlands on this subject. Programme(s) IC-COST - European cooperation in the field of scientific and technical research (COST), 1971- Topic(s) 10 - Meteorology Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme Data not available Coordinator CEC EU contribution No data Address Rue de la Loi, 200 1049 Brussels Belgium See on map Total cost No data Participants (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Meteorological Service of the Republic of Hungary Hungary EU contribution No data Address Kitaibel P.I. 1024 Budapest See on map Total cost No data
