Recent events

Ninth Argentine Congress on Meteorology – CONGREMET IX
   
National Seminar/Workshop on the Social and Economic Benefits of Meteorological Services to Philippine Society (23-25 November 2005, Manila, Philippines) 

Ninth Argentine Congress on Meteorology – CONGREMET IX 

CONGREMET IX was held in Buenos Aires from 3 to 7 October 2005 under the theme “Weather, climate, water and sustainable development”. The event brought together over 200 meteorologists, climatologists, hydrologists and oceanographers from Argentina and neighbouring countries. Mr Miguel Angel Rabiolo, Third Vice-President of WMO and Director-General, National Meteorological Service, attended the opening ceremony. 

Opening ceremony (from right to left):M.A. Rabiolo (Permanent Representative of Argentina with WMO and Third Vice-President of WMO), D. Tomasini, J.M. Horler, R. Patroulleau, P.M. Jacovkis and G.V. Necco)

Panel discussions and some of the major outcomes were: 

Weather and severe storms

Recommendation: observation networks be enhanced, particularly regarding radars, and suggested that regional observation instruments be established, and greater efforts be made in human resource training. 

Weather and natural disasters

There was a need to raise awareness in the government and decision-making spheres about the fact that risk assessment and early warning systems were solid investments to protect lives and property, thereby aiding sustainable development. Moreover, from a cost-benefit perspective, investments were much more efficient if used to strengthen assessment and warning mechanisms than to deal with disasters that had already occurred and in recovery efforts. 

Climate

An extensive and complete database of observations was needed. As a resource it would be the result of a complex set of processes involving the collection, transmission, quality control and storing of thousands of observations of meteorological and other environment-related variables. Not only data on variables were necessary but also “data on data” or metadata. Institutions and agencies that held such data were urged to facilitate their access so that they could be rapidly converted into products and services required by users. 

Variability and climate change

It was recommended that the scientific community:

• Undertake efforts to comprehend the types of climate change brought about in the region over the past four decades;

• Ascertain what mechanisms were responsible for the changes observed and if any anthropogenic influence was involved;

• Consider the issue of adapting to climate change, particularly in situations where extreme weather phenomena occurred most frequently;

• Promote the continuation and expansion of observation networks in the region; and

• Consider the advantages of using remote sensing in assessing climate change.

Oceanography

There was a growing need to expand and improve the quality of equipment and human resources. It was important to move towards the concept of operational oceanography, whereby oceanographic data and observations were available in real time. Closer ties between the oceanographic and the meteorological communities were called for. 

Hydrology and freshwater

• For Argentina’s development, it was important to promote the construction of new, multi-purpose dams, with special consideration given to the social and environmental impact, thereby avoiding any potential clash between development and environmental protection;

• Integrated water resources management should be promoted, which presupposed a development change towards water governance, the recognition of competing uses and the necessary involvement of the various groups concerned;

• Education plays a strategic role in achieving attitude change and is the cornerstone of capacity-building (sustainable use of water, a responsible citizenry, environmental safety);

Agricultural meteorology

The need was pinpointed to form regional focal points and networks comprising public and private entities in order to establish multidisciplinary groups throughout the country and apprise users about the availability of agrometeorological products and the options for using them properly in keeping with the characteristics and scale of the problems to be resolved and/or decisions to be taken. 

Lectures

•  “Climate prediction as a tool for the sustainable development of MERCOSUR countries”, by Dr Luis B. Molion of the Federal University of Alagoas in Brazil.
  
  

•  “Climate diagnosis as an element of decision and control”, by Dr Walter Mario Vargas of the University of Buenos Aires.

National Seminar/Workshop on the Social and Economic Benefits of Meteorological Services to Philippine Society (23-25 November 2005, Manila, Philippines) 

This seminar/workshop was organized by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and WMO. This serves as a ‘pilot’ for similar seminars to be held in different countries, as part of the preparatory process for the WMO international conference on the social and economic benefits of meteorological and hydrological service in March 2007. 

The principal goal was to provide a forum for personnel from different user government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector. (Several participants from some countries in the region also attended). Specifically, the main objectives were to promote better awareness and appreciation of the social and economic benefits resulting from the provision of meteorological, hydrological and related services, to enhance partnerships in the undertaking of relevant studies among the various stakeholders, to develop appropriate recommendations that could be shared at national, regional and international fora, and to agree on an action plan to advance work on socio-economic benefits. 

The seminar identified the economic benefits for various sectors in the Philippines derived from meteorological, hydrological services and related fields. It proposed policy-related and other recommendations that are envisioned to strengthen and/or upgrade services in the Philippines and established partnerships between PAGASA and participating agencies to ensure follow up actions. 

Overview presentations were made in areas of concern relating to the socio-economic impacts and benefits of meteorology. Key sectors for which the socio-economic impacts of PAGASA services needed to be further analysed were identified and a work programme to undertake the socio-economic evaluation was developed. Some of the important sectors identified were agriculture, maritime transport, aviation, tourism, health, disaster management and water resources management. User institutions from these and other sectors were represented in the seminar. 

The process relating to the seminar and its results were presented at the Fourth Technical Conference on Management of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in RA V (Samoa, 5 to 9 December 2005) by PAGASA, which serves as an RMTC in RA V. Plans for similar endeavours were discussed at the conference.

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