RAII-16/Doc.4.1(5), DRAFT 2APPROVED, p. 3

World Meteorological Organization
REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONII
(ASIA)
Sixteenth Session
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
12 to 16 February 2017 / RAII-16/Doc.4.1(5)
Submitted by:
Secretary-General
13.II.2017
DRAFT 2APPROVED

AGENDA ITEM 4: PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES – REGIONAL ASPECTS

AGENDA ITEM 4.1: DISASTER RISK REDUCTION, RESILIENCES AND PREVENTION FOCUSING ON IMPACT-BASED DECISION SUPPORT SERVICES

TROPICAL CYCLONE FORECASTING

SUMMARY

DECISIONS/ACTIONS REQUIRED:

Adopt draft Decision 4.1(5)/1 — Enhancing capacity and competencies of the NMHSs in tropical cyclone forecasting and warnings.

CONTENT OF DOCUMENT:

The Table of Contents is available only electronically as a Document Map[*].

DRAFT DECISION

Draft Decision 4.1(5)/1 (RA II-16)

ENHANCING CAPACITY AND COMPETENCIES OF THE NMHSs IN TROPICAL CYCLONE FORECASTING AND WARNINGS

THE ASSOCIATION,

Noting:

(1) Resolution 23 (Cg-XVI) – Tropical Cyclone Programme,

(2) Decision 10 (EC-68) – Enhancing capability of the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in tropical cyclone impact-based forecasting and warning services with multi-hazard approach,

(3) The Statute of the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee, and the Statute of the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones, respectively, defining the inter-governmental nature of the two bodies,

Recalling the view of Cg-17 (paragraph 3.1.67 of the Abridged Final Report) on the urgent need of improving the tropical cyclone forecasting skills and competencies required for effective operational capacity in the developing countries, especially Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the Least Developed Countries (LDCs); and that Cg-17 requested the Secretary-General to continue to give high priority to capacity development in tropical cyclone forecasting and related disaster risk reduction (DRR), and make the necessary arrangements to extend training activities to cover all the five regional tropical cyclone bodies,

Recognizing that Members of the Association prone to experience tropical cyclones are mainly developing and least developed countries, and that they have been grouped into the ESCAP/ WMO Typhoon Committee, and the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones, respectively; and that the highest priorities among the NMHSs of those Members are capacity development and improving the competencies and skills of forecasters on tropical cyclone forecasting and warnings with a multi-hazard approach,

Noting further:

(1) The Jakarta Declaration adopted by the participants in the Joint RA II/RA V Workshop on WIGOS for Disaster Risk Reduction, BMKG, Jakarta, Indonesia, October 12-142015,which recommended that satellite operators provide necessary support to the joint RA II/RA V WIGOS project on satellite data,

(2) The Memorandum on the Asia-Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users Conference (AOMSUC) which provides a forum to facilitate the meteorological community in Asia and Oceania in enhancing utilization of satellite data and products for better weather, climate and disaster risk reduction services,

Recognizing that it is essential to enhance the exchange, and to improve availability and quality, of most relevant observations across the Region for reducing risks of disasters associated with tropical cyclones,

Requests the Secretary-General to make the necessary arrangements for mobilizing resources to provide training opportunities to forecasters from those Members through the existing training programmes under the WMO Tropical Cyclone Programme and Education and Training Programme;

Calls for Members of the Association that share the same regime to strengthen operational weather discussions between/among them and requests those leading centres and RTCs to contribute to theprone to tropical cyclones, that have the resources and capabilities, to contribute to the tropical cyclone training activities;

Invites those RSMCs with activity specialization in tropical cyclones and relevant WMO Regional Training Centres to be proactive in pursuing support from their national governments to organize, and provide necessary resources to conduct training activities on tropical cyclone forecasting and warnings;

Calls further for satellite operators protocol under which Members can request event-driven rapid-scanning satellite data covering their national area of interest for Disaster Risk Reduction in accordance with the concept of the Jakarta Declaration;

Requests the Members who signed the Memorandum on AOMSUC to foster cooperation among satellite operators and users in the Region to improve regional capacity in exploiting satellite data for Disaster Risk Reduction.

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