1. ® Hosted and Sponsored by Copyright © 2013 Open Geospatial Consortium Feedback from the WMO Commission for Hydrology 14th Session, November 2012 83rd OGC Technical Committee Redlands, CA USA Ulrich Looser January 16, 2013

2. OGC ® Towards the Hydrology Domain Working Group Mar 2007: CUAHSI submit WaterML as OGC Discussion paper Sep 2007: IWDIF (International Water Data Interoperability Forum) Meeting in Canberra discussed need for international water data standards 2008: Discussions between CSIRO, CUAHSI, OGC and WMO 2008: First 2 ad hoc meetings at OGC/TCs in Atlanta and Valencia Nov 2008: OGC observer at WMO CHy-13

3. OGC ® The Hydrology Domain Working Group Mar 2009: Formal establishment of OGC/WMO Hydrology DWG Nov 2009: OGC – WMO MoU Since 2009: Technical Meetings Each 3 Months Interoperability Experiments 3 Annual week-long workshops Establishment of WaterML2 SWG Involvement by many countries (Vendors, Government & Research) Sep 2012: Release of OGC Standard WaterML2.0 Part 1: Time Series

4. OGC ® Process leading up to WMO CHy-14 Session Numerous meetings between WMO and OGC (& Hydro DWG) representatives Dec 2011: WMO CHy AWG (Advisory Working Group) decides on additional thematic area: “Data Operations and Management” Aug 2012: OGC Documents on HY_Features released on WMO CHy E-Board for further discussion Sep 2012: Information on WaterML2.0 released on WMO CHy E-Board for information and adoption by CHy 14

5. OGC ® WMO CHy: 14th Session, 6 -14 November 2012 Geneva, Switzerland 151 Participants from 51 WMO Member countries Armenia, Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, British Caribbean Territories, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Poland, Paraguay, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom of Great Britain, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America Copyright © 2013 Open Geospatial Consortium

6. OGC ® Process at the WMO CHy-14 Session Presentations by: Steve Foreman (WMO): Making more information more useful: WIS and WIGOS Irina Dornblut (GRDC): GRDC Hydrologic Metadata – Concept using WML2 and HY_Features Irina Dornblut (GRDC): Hydrologic Feature Model, Why WMO CHy should endorse its use Peter Fitch (CSIRO): WaterML 2.0 Description for WMO CHy Session Rick Hooper (CUAHSI): The CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System: A Large-Scale Prototype of Water Data Services David Maidment (Univ. of Texas): Towards a Global Water Information System

7. OGC ® Process at the WMO CHy-14 Session Extensive discussion of “Data Operations and Management” document including draft resolution 7/1 (CHy-14) “Proposed adoption of WaterML 2.0 as a Standard” Extensive discussions with individual country representatives to clarify uncertainties. Lengthy process to finalise wording of document and resolution for adoption in 6 official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish).

8. OGC ® WMO Resolution 7/1 (Chy-14) THE COMMISSION FOR HYDROLOGY, Noting: … (Reference to previous Resolutions of relevance) Recognizing: The importance of improved access to hydrological data for a range of purposes, including flood forecasting and warning, water resources assessment and impacts of climate variability and change, The need to adopt standard procedures in the operations of National Hydrological Services, In particular, the growing need for adoption of standards with respect to data operations and management with the primary aims of improving the interoperability of data and information and increasing the availability of and access to data and information,

9. OGC ® WMO Resolution 7/1 (Chy-14) (continued) THE COMMISSION FOR HYDROLOGY, Considering that the work of the WMO/OGC Hydrology Domain Working Group (including representation from CHy) has resulted in WaterML 2.0 being adopted as an OGC Standard, Decides to commence a process, including testing, that could see the potential adoption of the WaterML 2.0 as a WMO standard for information exchange managed by WMO (supported by the WMO/OGC MOU) and to register this standard as a joint WMO/ISO standard;

10. OGC ® WMO Resolution 7/1 (Chy-14) (continued) THE COMMISSION FOR HYDROLOGY, Requests: The Secretariat to take the necessary actions, under the direction of the AWG, to commence a process, including testing, that could potentially see WaterML 2.0 become a WMO standard for information exchange managed by WMO (supported by the WMO/OGC MOU) and to register this standard as a joint WMO/ISO standard; The CHy Advisory Working Group member responsible for data management and operations to oversee this process; The president of CHy to report on progress at the next session of the Commission for Hydrology; Members to actively participate in testing and applying WaterML 2.0 in pilot projects and operational applications and to report their experiences and suggestions to the WMO/OGC Hydrology Domain Working Group and the AWG.

11. OGC ® Some additional text passages formulated by CHy-14 with relevance to the Hydro DWG WMO and the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) 7.1The Commission noted that the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC) to enhance the development and use of geospatial standards. … 7.2In this regard, the Commission was pleased to note the establishment of the Hydrology Domain Working Group which is a Joint Working Group of WMO and the OGC. The purpose of the Hydrology Domain Working Group (DWG) is to provide a venue and mechanism for seeking technical and institutional solutions to the challenge of describing and exchanging data describing the state and location of water resources, both above and below the ground surface. The WMO/OGC Hydrology DWG will provide a means of developing candidate standards for consideration and adoption by WMO as appropriate. In this regard, the Commission invited interested Members to participate in the activities of the joint WMO/OGC Hydrology DWG, as appropriate. 7.3The Commission was pleased to note advances in a number of areas in this regard, including WaterML 2.0, hydrologic feature model and satellite data applications. The Commission invited interested Members to participate in testing of standards prior to their adoption by WMO.

12. OGC ® Some additional text passages formulated by CHy-14 with relevance to the Hydro DWG WaterML 2.0 7.5The Commission noted the considerable work being undertaken internationally with respect to the development and agreement on standards for the transfer of hydrologic data between data servers (databases) and users. In particular, the Commission was pleased to note that the work of the Hydrology DWG of the OGC has resulted in WaterML 2.0 being adopted as an OGC Standard. …. …The Commission noted the importance of such standards to improve service delivery of key CHy programmes including WHYCOS and the WMO Flood Forecasting Initiative, and further noted the benefit of diligently moving to improve the execution of these programmes through the use of such standards.

13. OGC ® Additional requirements formulated by the CHy-14 7.4 The Commission recalled the recommendation in Resolution 6 (CHy-XIII) that the Global Runoff Data Centre (GRDC) should undertake the development of the metadata profile, in collaboration with interested parties, under the overall guidance of WIS/WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS) to form part of the WMO Core Profile of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Metadata Standard. The Commission noted that in 2009, the GRDC had produced a report on the Metadata Profile and that in April 2011 this report had been withdrawn for further review, based on advances made over this period, in particular with respect to the work of the Hydrology DWG. Noting that it is a living document and will evolve with time, the Commission urged the GRDC to finalize this review and make the report available to its members. 7.7The Commission requested that a glossary of terms and vocabulary should be produced for non-specialists that includes the description of the format with examples. The Commission welcomed the offer of the Czech Republic to contribute to the further development of WaterML 2.0 in the field of water quality formats.

14. OGC ® Additional requirements formulated by the CHy-14 Hydrologic Feature Model 7.9The Commission took note of the work being undertaken by the WMO/OGC Hydrology DWG with respect to the Hydrologic Feature Model (HY_Features). … 7.10The Commission commented that discussions on HY_Features need to continue within the hydrology community to: reflect a wide range of “features”, recognizing the different concepts that Members have; … 7.11… The Commission decided to support its further development by the WMO/OGC Hydrology DWG and requested that increased engagement with this work is undertaken through the Data Operations and Management thematic area of the AWG.

15. OGC ® Next CHy steps Feb 2013: CHy AWG Meeting to decide on work plan including process to see WaterML 2.0 become a joint WMO/ISO standard Brief WMO CBS (Commission for Basic Systems) to support process for WaterML 2.0 to become a WMO/ISO standard Mar 2013: Specify CHy requirements for observational metadata as the basis for the preparation of a WIGOS observational metadata specification ….

16. OGC ® Congratulations and thanks to all involved at OGC, WMO and Hydro DWG for the achieved results. Hopefully more to follow.