The 63rd Session of the Caribbean Meteorological Council was held from 24-25 November 2022 at the Cayman Islands Airport Authority Conference Facility, George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, under the auspices of the Government of Cayman Islands.
The meeting focused on several priority areas of the WMO, including the UN Early Warnings for All Global Initiative and the Global Basic Observation Network. During the Opening Ceremony, Keynote Speaker and Chair of the 63rd Council, the Honourable G. Wayne Panton,
Premier and Minister of Sustainability & Climate Resiliency, Cayman Islands, stressed that “Enhancing resiliency through national weather forecasting, hydrological services and multi-hazard early warning systems is essential to ensuring small island nations like the Cayman Islands can withstand the predicted impacts of climate change.”
WMO Secretary-General, Prof. Petteri Taalas, noted that “We have to invest in the Early Warning capacities of Countries…to reach 100% coverage of Early Warning Services by the end of 2027.” Ambassador Dr. Carla Natalie Barnett, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) advocated for strengthening Caribbean hydro-meteorological
institutions, expressing that, “Despite the economic and financial challenges we face, increasing investment in National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, and other institutions that provide scientific and technical information, will strengthen decision-making as together we prepare the Caribbean for a more resilient future.”
Following the formal opening, the CMC discussed and made decisions on special WMO and
CMO issues, including, but not limited to:
• The Action Plan for the “Early Warning for All Initiative”, per the call from the United
Nations Secretary-General, Mr Antonio Gutteres
• WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS), Global Basic Observing
Network (GBON), and implementation of a Regional WIGOS Centre in RA IV
• Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) and implications for CMO
Members
• Disaster Risk Reduction and Regional Severe Weather Forecasts and Warning
Systems
• Arrangements for Meteorological Forecast and Warning Services among CMO
Member States
• The CMO Weather Radar Network status, utilization and maintenance
• WMO Climatological Standard Normals (CLINO) 1991–2020
• Implementation of Quality Management Systems for Aviation Weather Services
The Council was pleased to note that the CMO actively contributed to various events during 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Egypt, including its first-time hosting a Side event, in collaboration with the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) Secretariat.
Council also approved the 2023 budgets of the Organs of the CMO (the Headquarters Unit and the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology) and noted the activities undertaken and planned by the Organs.
CMO Members were encouraged to focus on the key role that their National Meteorological and Hydrometeorological Services (NMHS) will have to play in the implementation of the “Early Warnings for All” initiative and emphasized the need for Members to strengthen their early warning systems.
Members were also encouraged to recognize that activities within the WMO Tropical Cyclone Programme (TCP), Severe Weather Forecast Programme, and the Global Framework for Climate Services were important to the resilience of the Caribbean to hydrometeorological hazards.
Other related activities were cited in the Strategic Roadmap for Advancing Impact-based Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems and Services in the Caribbean, which was developed through the CREWS Caribbean project.
CMO members were urged to be prepared to take advantage of resources available through the funding mechanisms supporting Early Warnings for All, including SOFF.
Member States were also urged to ensure that their National Meteorological and Hydrometeorological Services complete activities for the Initial Operational Phase of WIGOS, which ends in 2023 and to calculate, publish and submit their 1991-2020 Climatological Standard Normal as soon as possible.
SOURCE: World Meteorological Organization
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