NCM Director-General Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous Chairs Extraordinary Session Of World Meteorological Congress In Geneva

Dr. Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous, President of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and Director-General of the UAE National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), led a significant session at the WMO headquarters in Geneva. This Extraordinary Session of the World Meteorological Congress was attended by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, along with WMO Regional Association Presidents and senior UN officials.

The primary focus of this high-level meeting was to expedite the "Early Warnings for All" (EW4ALL) initiative. The aim is to ensure that every individual globally is protected by early-warning systems by 2027. Dr. Al Mandous highlighted that this session marked a pivotal moment in advancing the global early-warning agenda initially advocated by Guterres.

Dr. Al Mandous emphasised the need for strategic alignment within the UN system to achieve this vision effectively. He suggested enhancing WMO's engagement with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to integrate weather, climate, and water activities with broader sustainable development goals. He also called for closer coordination with specialised UN agencies like ICAO, ITU, and IMO to ensure unified policies on shared priorities.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Al Mandous noted that Guterres' call to action elevated early warnings to a top global priority, fostering a shared sense of urgency among nations. He reaffirmed that WMO and its Members are fully committed to this vision, viewing EW4ALL as crucial for climate resilience and planetary security.

Dr. Al Mandous reiterated that investing in early-warning systems is both a moral duty and an economic necessity, stating, "every dollar invested in early-warning systems yields nine dollars in benefits and countless saved lives." This underscores the importance of these systems in saving lives and preventing economic losses.

Following Dr. Al Mandous' address, António Guterres delivered keynote remarks praising WMO as "the quiet force that illuminates all the rational climate decisions we take." He stressed that without meteorological services' long-term monitoring and scientific precision, communities would not benefit from warnings that save lives and prevent financial losses annually.

Global Action Against Climate Crisis

Guterres reaffirmed that the climate crisis poses an existential threat requiring urgent global action. He commended WMO's role in providing essential data for informed decision-making in tackling climate challenges worldwide.

Dr. Al Mandous concluded by emphasising WMO’s guiding vision: "One Planet, One System, One Community." Under this mission, WMO will continue strengthening partnerships across the UN system to ensure timely weather information reaches every community globally.

With inputs from WAM