Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority, represented by the meteorology department, is participating in the 18th World Meteorological Congress, which is currently taking place in Geneva.
The conference aims to agree on future strategy and tools to help countries increase resilience to extreme weather, water, climate and other environmental shocks, to strengthen scientific observations and predictions and to close capacity gap.
The congress takes place every four years and decides on the strategy, policies, standards, budget and office holders of the 193-member World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). This year it will discuss a sweeping reform of WMOs governance structures to address major risks and meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Other items on the agenda include strengthening the observation network which underpins all forecasts; improved weather and climate services in an era of climate change and more extreme weather; hydrological services and support of sustainable water management; integrated Earth systems science; facilitating capacity development; engagement with the private sector and data policy.
 WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said yesterday that he hopes for “by 2030, a world where all nations, especially the most vulnerable, are more resilient to the socioeconomic impact of extreme weather, water, climate and other environmental events; and empowered to boost their sustainable development through the best possible services, whether over land, at sea or in the air.”
Demands on the expertise of WMO and national meteorological and hydrological services have never been higher. The socio-economic impact of weather, climate and water-related hazards is rising because of environmental degradation, urbanisation and, above all, climate change,” he added.
Taalas said that climate change is altering precipitation patterns and so increasing water stress and food security challenges and affecting the intensity and track of tropical storms. Sea level rise is accelerating and by the end of the century may be much higher than originally forecast.
The congress is expected to approve a new WMO Strategic Plan for 2030 that sets five long term goals and top overarching priorities. Those priorities include enhancing preparedness for, and reducing losses of life and property from hydrometeorological extremes, supporting climate-smart decision making to build resilience and adaptation to climate risk, and enhancing socioeconomic value of weather, climate, hydrological and related environmental services
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