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The President of Switzerland Hans-Rudolf Merz on Monday
inaugurated the Third World Climate Conference to be
held until the 4th of September. The conference will
seek to adopt a series of measures related to
information systems and climate predictions.
About 1,500 representatives and policy and decision
makers from over 150 countries will meet attend with
scientists and experts to identify practical adaptation
to climate change. The meeting involves about 20 Heads
of State and some 80 ministers.
The Conference convened by the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) aims to transform scientific
knowledge into practical products that benefit all
sectors of society.
Precise Predictions
The primary objective is to establish a Global Framework
for Climate Services in order that decision-makers
around the world have information and timely and
accurate predictions about the weather. All people and
countries need climate information to plan their
activities to adapt to present and future conditions.
The Global Framework comprises four main elements: a
renewed commitment to climate observations and the free
and open availability of data, a greater emphasis on
climate modeling and prediction research, a new
information system for climate services and implementing
a new program of climate services.
Development Adapted to Climate
Through these elements, the Global Framework aims to
build capacity in developing countries and to support
the implementation of climate services for development
and adaption to the climate. The main objective is to
create an effective interface between providers and
users of climate services.
The idea is to provide weather services to decision
makers of key socio-economic sectors such as water,
agriculture, fisheries, health, forestry, transport,
tourism, energy and risk management of disaster, the
information they need to make decisions regarding
climate variability and climate change.
This is the Third World Climate Conference organized by
WMO. The previous two meetings (1979 and 1990) impacted
climate change awareness greatly and revolutionised
capabilities for the monitoring and research of climate
change.
According to Michel Jarraud, the director of the WMO,
climate change wil be the biggest influence determining
future socio-economic decisions, and all must use the
best scientific information possible and not base it on
past statistics, as is currently the case.
The Reality has Changed
The director of the WMO explained that the present
method of calculating cycles as a function of experience
was effective while the weather was more or less stable,
but recalled that the reality has changed.
“The aim of the conference is to link scientists with
decision makers and I do not mean only governments, but
also the private sector, farmers and the various
socioeconomic sectors”, he said.
The Conference has the support of other international
bodies like the European Commission, the European Space
Agency, the United Nations Organization for Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations
Environment Program (UNEP).
Swisslatin
/ Alberto Dufey
(31.08.2009) |
