Second AMMA International Conference, Karlsruhe 2007

The Second International AMMA Conference was held in Karlsruhe, Germany between 26 and 30 November 2007.

Joint Meetings

AMMA-Ocean / TACE / PIRATA Meeting, November 27-30 2007 First Announcement AMMA-Ocean/TACE/PIRATA Meeting

2nd THORPEX Africa Planning Meeting, November 23-24 2007 Africa THORPEX Flyer

Group picture of the Karlsruhe conference participants
Book of abstracts
Conference programme and themes
Acknowlegements

Conference outline

AMMA aims to improve our knowledge of the West African monsoon (WAM) and of its variability. The programme is motivated both by fundamental scientific questions (process and scale interactions) and societal needs. These needs are related to the WAM variability strongly impacting key living issues for the West African population (water resources, food security, health).

Scientists from 30 countries, representing more than 140 national and pan-national agencies are involved in AMMA. In addition to the international structure which has been set up, a network of African scientists linked to AMMA has been established (AMMANET) which helps to consolidate existing collaborations in Africa and to federate initiatives through a pan-African partnership.

AMMA is endorsed by the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and continues to develop in association with CLIVAR and GEWEX. AMMA has also been endorsed by two projects within the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP): IGAC and ILEAPS.  AMMA is working with other international projects and programmes to achieve its aims including GCOS, GOOS and THORPEX.

AMMA International Conferences aim to bring together researchers from around the world working on the WAM and its impacts, to review ongoing research and modelling activities and to discuss ongoing and future contributions to the AMMA research programme. This edition provided an ideal opportunity for consolidating and establishing collaborations at the international level, in particular with African scientists. Substantial efforts were made to ensure good attendance at the conference, particularly from African and young scientists.

The conference took place within the enhanced observing period (EOP) and one year after the AMMA special observing period (SOP) in 2006. The conference was thus also an ideal opportunity to present first results, to review and discuss the ongoing process studies and related research activities like the ongoing field measurements in West Africa. A strong emphasis was put on the interface between geophysical and impact studies.

AMMA facilitates the multidisciplinary research required to provide improved predictions of the WAM and its impacts through five international working groups (WG) and two cross-cutting activities:

1. West African monsoon and global climate including aerosols and chemistry
2. Water cycle
3. Surface - Atmosphere feedbacks
4. Prediction of climate impacts
5. High impact weather prediction and predictability
6. Climate modelling (evaluation and improvement)
7. Long Term Observations (Ground measurements and satellite products).

They are reflected in the main conference themes.

Second Announcement 2nd International AMMA Conference
Seconde Annonce 2ème Conférence Internationale AMMA

Highlights

The 2nd AMMA International conference gathered almost 400 participants from 30 countries, of whom 80 from Africa. In the numerous sessions held, the questions raised from the data collected during the field campaigns were notably developed, as, for instance, the essential role of ocean-atmosphere interactions in the West African monsoon onset and intensity, revealed with the 2005 to 2007 oceanographic campaigns in the Gulf of Guinea, or the role of the heat low in modulating the monsoon.

AMMA brings together a rich international community with representatives of many disciplines, who have been able to work jointly in Karlsruhe for the first time. Understanding the geophysics of the monsoon and forecasting its variability are necessary, but working on applied research topics is also paramount to bring solutions to the populations who are subject to such variability of their environment. For example, new approaches combine information on climate, including satellite data, with the knowledge of diseases and socio-economic factors to implement regional forecast systems of epidemic risk, in particular concerning the Rift Valley fever, meningitis, and malaria. The first results of the AMMA field campaigns also bring clues on the relationship between agricultural yields, growing practices and meteorological conditions. This colloquium was the occasion to start thinking on the next phase of the AMMA programme. The scientific plan of Africa THORPEX, which was finalized on this occasion, shows that AMMA is already transferring the experience and knowledge gained to advance in meteorological prediction with high social and economic impact in Africa.

Funding of the conference and logistical help

The conference was funded by all agencies funding AMMA and direct sponsoring by DFG, IRD and FZK.

The Second International Conference of AMMA was organized conjointly between the local organisation team of the IMK/FZK (1) under Prof. C. Kottmeier as local host and the AMMA Project Office under Dr. E. van den Akker.

Additional sponsoring was provided by ESF, IGAC, KMKG, RIPIECSA, UNESCO, WMO-CLIPS, WMO-THORPEX.

(1) Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research / Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe.