5 / 218
[
]5
Since its establishment, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has excelled in monitoring the environ-
ment, and in predicting its future state with increasing accuracy on all timescales from nowcasting to climate
projections. For this achievement, the organization has coordinated and promoted on a worldwide scale the devel-
opment of advances in science and technology and their application to meteorology, and fostered an unprecedented
level of self-help and international cooperation.
This global capacity has brought to the fore of the world’s agenda issues such as increasing greenhouse gases and the
resulting global warming; potential climate change and its impact; improved early warning and a multi-hazard system
against natural and environmental disasters; dwindling water resources; the depletion of stratospheric ozone and increas-
ing levels of pollution. Such knowledge, provided by WMO’s unique system and maintained and operated by its 188
members, has enabled humanity to address these issues with a sense of urgency and concern for future generations.
In addition, there is a considerable number of other areas where hydrometeorological knowledge is being success-
fully applied to socio-economic development and environmental security. Some of the domains include agriculture,
disaster mitigation, human health, water resources management, environment, desertification control, tourism, energy,
insurance, trade, transport, construction – indeed, most human activities. The range of services is expanding rapidly.
Each nation invests in hydrometeorological science, but in most cases the advantages derived are limited to a few
major areas. In order to benefit from the full potential that hydrometeorological knowledge can bring to human
affairs, a multidisciplinary and inter-institutional approach as well as further investment and cooperative arrange-
ments are required. The National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) need to work with economists,
social scientists, decision makers and other users to broaden the range of services provided and demonstrate the value
of hydrometeorological information in the successful implementation of national development plans as well as
regional and international strategies.
In this regard, WMO has the crucial responsibility to ensure the exchange of knowledge and experience and to
increase the visibility and public awareness of the NMHS both at national and international levels. WMO’s Statement
on the Role and Operation of NMHS for Decision Makers contributes to this effort especially in the context of changes
in the world and in the United Nations system. The NMHS and WMO have unique competence and comparative
advantage in contributing to socio-economic development and environmental security as well as towards the attain-
ment of internationally agreed development goals such as poverty alleviation as contained in the Millennium
Development Goals and other global and regional strategies. This is the challenge faced by WMO in this early part
of the 21st century.
We would therefore like to thank Tudor Rose for providing another opportunity to the meteorological and hydro-
logical communities and various users to show the valuable contributions of WMO and the NMHS to human welfare
and environment sustainability, and the further support they require in taking their work ahead for the benefit of
this and future generations.
Alexander Bedritsky
President of the World Meteorological Organization
Preface