ABU DHABI, 19th April, 2023 (WAM) — A meteorological delegation from the UAE, headed by Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, Director-General of the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) and President of the Regional Association II (Asia), highlighted the country’s efforts to improve the socio-economic benefits of weather, climate and water-related services during their participation in a High-Level Regional Forum of the Open Consultative Platform in Regional Associations Il and V (RA Il and RA V) in Singapore.
Organised by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the Forum brought together the permanent representatives of the WMO from RA Il and RA V regions that consist of East Asia and Australia, along with participants from the private and academic sectors to discuss region-specific issues, opportunities, and initiatives to enhance cross-sector cooperation and collaboration to improve the delivery of weather, climate and water-related services. Participants also explored ways to contribute to WMO’s strategic priorities in the coming years, including the Early Warnings for All initiative, a United Nations initiative for implementing climate adaptation.
During the Forum, Dr. Al Mandous participated in various sessions and shared his insights and the NCM’s experience on a wide range of topics, including the optimisation of weather, climate, and water-related services.
The discussions also focused on identifying common interests, understanding the complementary roles and strengths of actors from the public, private, and academic sectors, exploring opportunities for partnership within the region, enhancing the collective capacity of all stakeholders to leverage resources, and sustaining quality services, among others.
Dr. Al Mandous said, “The participation of the UAE delegation in this important forum reiterates the NCM’s continued commitment to cooperate and enhance regional mechanisms to achieve the WMO’s shared goals in the weather, climate, and water-related services. At the NCM, we believe that working with our partners from the public, private, and academic sectors is critical to addressing the challenges of climate change and sustainable development.”
Dr Wenjian Zhang, the WMO Assistant Secretary-General, appreciated the UAE’s participation in the Forum, which offered a platform for representatives from member countries to coordinate activities and contribute to the WMO’s strategic priorities. He noted that the Forum helped shape beneficial partnerships to promote the continued development of weather, climate, and water-related services essential for the prosperity of communities. The discussions and recommendations during the Forum were timely and vital in building a resilient and sustainable future for the region and the world.
As the President of the Regional Association II (Asia), Dr. Al Mandous leads regional efforts and initiatives to develop and deliver better weather, climate, and water-related services within the WMO’s Regional Association II (Asia) in line with the organisation’s strategic priorities. As part of his broader vision to enhance capacities and increase the resilience of communities, especially in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Al Mandous, who has been named by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) as the country’s official candidate for the WMO’s 2023 – 2027 Presidency, aims to engage with donor partners to ensure that the right policies and technical and financial solutions are in place and investments in weather services are sustainable in SIDS.
As SIDS are highly vulnerable to extreme weather events and the adverse impacts of climate change, Dr. Al Mandous is focusing on investing in activities to maintain and restore existing weather and climate observing stations, train local staff in the maintenance, calibration, and repair of equipment, and build the capacity of national meteorological services to archive, and analyse and report on current weather and climate data. Such efforts are expected to lead to improved resilience and significant benefits for the citizens and economies of SIDS.