World Meteorological Organisation - Objectives, Members, Functions, Reports, Findings And More

World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) is an intergovernmental organisation. It was set up in 1950. It originates from the International Meteorological Organisation (IMO). WMO is a United Nations body. It handles international cooperation and coordination on the state of the Earth's atmosphere. It is formed for exchanging weather data and research.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) is important from the perspective of UPSC IAS Examinations and falls under the General Studies Paper 2, particularly in the International Relations and Groupings section. In this article, we shall discuss WMO, its members, functions, and publications or reports.

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What is the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)?

The World Meteorological Organisation is an intergovernmental organisation and specialised agency of the United Nations. Its mandate spans issues about weather, climate, and water resources. It assists countries in building their capabilities in the areas of meteorology.

WMO Members

The World Meteorological Organisation has a total of 193 member states and six member Territories, which facilitates the “free and unrestricted” exchange of data, information, and research between its members' Meteorological and hydrological Institutions.

Objective of WMO

The procurement activities within the World Meteorological Organisation aim to achieve the best value for money for the acquisition of goods and services that support fairness, integrity, and transparency and are directed towards maximum economy and effectiveness within and by the organisation's objectives.

Functions of WMO

The World Meteorological Organisation’s functions are given below:

• Global Data Coordination: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) facilitates the exchange of meteorological and climatological data among member countries, promoting global cooperation in weather information sharing.
• Standardization of Observations: WMO establishes and maintains international standards for meteorological and related observations, ensuring consistency in data collection methods for accurate and comparable global analyses.
• Early Warning Systems: WMO plays a crucial role in developing and coordinating early warning systems for extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, cyclones, and tsunamis, helping to mitigate the impact of natural disasters.
• Climate Research and Assessment: WMO supports climate research and assessment activities, providing a platform for member countries to collaborate on understanding and addressing climate change impacts.
• Capacity Building: The organization promotes the development of meteorological and climatological capabilities in member countries through training programs, workshops, and knowledge sharing, enhancing global resilience to weather-related challenges.
• Aviation Safety: WMO contributes to the safety of air travel by providing meteorological information and standards crucial for aviation operations, including weather forecasts, warnings, and airport meteorological services.

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World Meteorological Organisation – Publication / Reports

The World Meteorological Organisation publishes an annual report on the condition of the world climate. This WMO report will help provide detailed information about the temperature at the local, National, and global levels, along with the extreme weather events.

• The WMO report also provides information on the long-term climate change indicators. These indicators include rising sea levels, the extent of the sea ice, and the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
• Some of the reports that the WMO publishes are given below:
  • Status of World Climate
  • Greenhouse Gas Bulletin.

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World Meteorological Organisation and India

India has been a member of the World Meteorological Organisation since 1949. The head (DGM – Director General of Meteorology) of the India Meteorology Department is the permanent representative of this organisation. The WMO has praised India’s IMDs' remarkable accuracy in the forecast and updates on cyclone Amphan, which helped save numerous lives in India. The IMD predictions help us prepare for cyclones in India and other countries like Bangladesh, Singapore, and Bahrain. The World Meteorological Organisation also wrote a letter to the Indian Meteorology Department to appreciate its work concerning all the predictions that it made for cyclone genesis, intensity, landfall time, and point, including all the related adverse weather conditions like rainfall, wind, storm surge with a lead period of over three days.

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WMO Recent Findings

Some of the recent findings of WMO include the following:

• The World Meteorological Organisation highlighted that greenhouse gases in the air reached a new high in 2018.
• Carbon dioxide in the air increased from 405.5 parts per million in 2017 to 407.8 parts per million in 2018. This exceeds the average increase of 2.06 parts per million from 2005 to 2015.
• The WMO measures the amount of greenhouse gases in the air, not the amount emitted.
• Since 1990, the warming effect on the climate due to trapped greenhouse gases has increased by 43%. Carbon dioxide accounts for about 80% of this.
• In 2018, the increase in methane gas in the air was the highest since 1998.
• Future generations will have to deal with more serious effects of climate change, including:
  • Higher temperatures, 
  • extreme weather, 
  • water shortage, 
  • rising sea levels, and 
  • damage to ecosystems.

World Meteorological Day

World Meteorological Day is celebrated to commemorate the establishment of the WMO. It has been celebrated since 1961 to make people aware of their role in protecting the Earth's atmosphere.

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