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Agroclimate Service in Canada. Allan Howard Manager, National Agroclimate Information Service, Agriculture Agri-Food Canada, Regina Saskatchewan XV Session WMO, CAgM, July 20, 2010. Canada’s Agro-Climate Information Service. Monitoring (Near real time data). Public & Media. Policy &
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Agroclimate Service in Canada Allan Howard Manager, National Agroclimate Information Service, Agriculture Agri-Food Canada, Regina Saskatchewan XV Session WMO, CAgM, July 20, 2010
Canada’s Agro-Climate Information Service Monitoring (Near real time data) Public & Media Policy & Disaster Support NAIS Regional Extension Research Other Agencies
Canada’s Agro-Climate Information Service, cont… Granum, AB 1999 Farmer Extension Commodity Orgs Private Sector
What is the National Agroclimate Information Service? • Monitoring • Current condition updates • Extent location & severity of extreme events • Emphasis on • Support to disaster relief • Drought early warning • Original mandate • Application of research for decision support • New mandate • Move toward adaptation of forecasting data • Yield modeling • Drought preparedness & planning • Landscape vulnerability Drought Watch: www.agr.gc.ca/drought
Key Partnerships • Environment Canada • Climate data • Weather station operation, data storage, QA/QC, Climatology research • Forecasting • NOAA • North American Drought Monitor • GEO, Drought Indices, data/science exchange • Several universities, government departments, private sector agencies • Various research & application projects
International Linkages • North American Drought Monitor • Canadian author for drought • GEO – CGEO projects • soil moisture monitoring • drought monitoring, indicators, definition • WMO • UNCCD • UN-CSD • Department contact for drought & desertification
2009 Agricultural Year Precipitation (September 1 – August 31)
12 Month Standardized Precipitation Index April 2010 • Significant precipitation deficits of less than -2.00 persist across northern and central Alberta, and southwest Ontario.
Modeled soil moisture to end of summer (assuming average P & T)
Modeled Drought Index (PDSI) to end of summer (assuming average P & T)
Current Canadian Drought Monitor Assessment • Extreme (D3) and Severe (D2) Drought areas remain across central Alberta and into southern British Columbia. Severe Drought (D2), and Moderate Drought (D1) encompass much of Ontario.
Quantifying the Impacts of Drought Over 500 maps produced daily www.agr.gc.ca/drought
National Soil Moisture Monitoring • AAFC – EC proposed initiative • Forecasting, crop water balance, runoff forecasting • A pilot project is starting • Identify best practices fort monitoring soil moisture for crop water • Several questions: • Time scale: Hourly, daily, weekly? • How do we link surface & subsurface? • Local, regional, national scales • What is appropriate for AAFC? • What data volumes are involved
Next Steps • Plan in preparation • Want critique by international expert community • How do we communicate?
Thank You! Allan Howard Allan.Howard@agr.gc.ca