The article emphasizes the importance of open data sharing in climate science for the validation of models and effective climate responses. It discusses how limited access to data from national agencies, often justified by security, privacy, or commercial reasons, hinders progress. The World Meteorological Organization's initiatives aim to promote data exchange, yet resistance from certain entities slows this process. The author argues that the reasons for withholding data are often unfounded and proposes solutions, such as censoring sensitive information, to enhance transparency and accessibility in climate data sharing.
Science flourishes when data are shared freely, enabling verification, replication and innovation. In climate science, where I work, the stakes of open data sharing are nothing less than the future of our planet.
Good intentions are already there. The World Meteorological Organization has made efforts to support data sharing through initiatives such as Resolution 60 on the free exchange of meteorological information, adopted in 2019.
However, progress has been slow, with certain national agencies still reluctant to release their data. However, most of the reasons given are spurious, and many of the proposed barriers can be surmounted.
In cases with legitimate concerns, simple measures, including censoring the sites' coordinates, can deal with such issues effectively.
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