REPORT OF THE IUGG LIAISON OFFICER WITH WMO, THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION

The Liaison Officer of IUGG has attended all annual meetings of the Executive Council of WMO in Geneva since 1996 and will also participate in the WMO Congress in May 1999.

IUGG has an Co-operative Agreement with WMO which gives IUGG a voice during the deliberations in Congress and Executive Council. Of particular interest to IUGG are the major research, observation and measuring programs of WMO, carried out mostly in collaboration with ICSU. These projects are related to Weather, Climate and Climate Change, i.e. aspects specially covered by IAMAS, but often also involving IAHS, IAPSO, IAGA, IAVCEI and even IAG. IUGG (IAMAS) is also involved in the organization of joint scientific meetings with WMO.

Of particular interest for scientific bodies such as IUGG and its Associations, is the ongoing discussion on the free availability of weather and climate data. It is not long ago that meteorological and climatological data were often considered as strategic information and relating to national economies. In addition, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, NMHSs, like a certain data monopoly as an advantage over the private sector in order to secure financial support from their governments. Aviation, for example, provides more than half the funding of NMHSs in more than half the countries. Nevertheless, WMO has always taken the stand that data should be freely available to research. Resolution 51 of Congress XII (1995) was a first, crucial statement of such a policy. There is no question that this aspect will be a major item again at Congress XIII in May, 1999. A complicating factor is the request by many governments to have more self-supporting NMHSs. There are also strong trends to privatize some Services, at least partially. This evolution will continue into the next decade.

The Executive Council of 1998, ECIL, also approved a new 10-year plan. This plan does not contain any surprises, it is a continuation of present activities. It does not show any adaption of program management and management structure to the ever increasing Internet traffic. Further, WMO, formerly IMO, has always been the leader in applications of top transmission technology. Its trunk line now operates at a baud rate of 9600.

The advent of the Internet led to a proposal of IAMAS for a IUGG-WMO “ALLIANCE FOR CAPACITY TRANSFER, ACT”, a free exchange on the Internet of information, knowledge, technical know-how, software, etc. in the field of atmospheric and weather-related sciences, between National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, University Departments in Atmospheric Sciences, Research Institutions, individual scientists and the private sector. The IUGG Executive approved this plan in 1996. A document was then submitted to the WMO-EC in 1997 proposing such an ALLIANCE. The support for ACT was very strong and the Secretary-General of WMO, Prof. P.O.G. Obasi signed the necessary letter of agreement. More details about ACT are to be found in an document attached to this report to the IUGG Assembly 1999. [The Alliance was later joined by the US University Corporation for Atmospheric Sciences.]

The expenses for the IUGG Liaison with WMO (~$2500/a) cannot be charged to IUGG, they are supposed to come out of the IAMAS budget.

Toronto, 4 March 1999

Roland List, FRSC

Secretary General, IAMAS

and IUGG Liaison Officer with WMO