WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION=====================================

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ADVISORY GROUP ON NATURAL DISASTER PREVENTION AND MITIGATION

FIRST SESSION

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, 18-19 MARCH 2005

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FINAL REPORT

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1.0 Opening of the Session

1.1. The first session of the WMO Executive Council Advisory Committee on Natural Disaster

Prevention and Mitigation (the Group; also, ECAGDPM) was held on 18 and 19 March

2005, at the WMO Headquarters in Geneva (Annex 1). In his welcoming remarks, the

Chairman of the Group, Dr. Ivan Obrusnik, recalled that Congress XIV established the

crosscutting Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DPM) program and that Executive

Council (EC) – LVI approved the establishment of the Group. The Chairman noted the

synergy between this meeting and that of the EC Advisory Group on Role and Operations

of NMHSs, both in the members common to both groups and in the several issues that

overlapped between the two advisory groups.

1.2. In his welcoming remarks, the Secretary-General, Mr Michel Jarraud, noted that 2004 had

already been marked as a very severe year for natural disasters, the origins of many of

which were hydro-meteorological hazards, and many countries worldwide were inflicted

with considerable loss of life and socio-economic impact. However, the Asian tsunami

disaster’s impact and devastation reached an exceptional level in terms of the scale of

human loss, associated damage, number of countries affected and related response and

recovery efforts. He stressed that WMO is working actively to ensure that its relevant

capabilities would help accelerate the development of the Tsunami Early Warning System

(TEWS) including the national alert and response mechanisms. Secretary-General

provided examples from WMO preparations for the Second World Conference on Disaster

Reduction (WCDR) and response to the tragic Tsunami disaster, where through a

coordinated approach, WMO had been more effective in its response and has received

more visibility. He noted that WMO is joining forces with UNESCO-IOC and other key

agencies to ensure that Tsunami Early Warning Systems will soon become a reality in the

Indian Ocean, and also in other regions at risk. As the first step, the WMO Global

Telecommunication System (GTS) provides significant potential for timely and reliable

exchange of tsunami warning messages and related information between the appropriate

government agencies. Beyond GTS, WMO is working to promote and implement a multi-

hazard approach to TEWS, particularly in the context of National Alert and Response

mechanisms through a more systematic approach to enhancing the NMHSs capabilities for

dissemination of warnings, their educational materials targeted at their stakeholders and

through NMHSs training.

1.3. The Secretary-General emphasized that while natural hazards may not be avoided, by

integrating hazard mapping, risk assessment and early warnings, with prevention,

mitigation and preparedness measures, nations can prevent natural hazards from

becoming disasters. He stressed that WMO and NMHSs could contribute significantly

through a strong and sustainable multi-hazard strategy for disaster reduction around the

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world. The Secretary-General stressed the importance to determine users’ needs and

requirements; identify gaps in knowledge and capabilities; establish relevant partnerships

with organizations in the public and private sectors including strong linkages to

government authorities and the risk management community at international, regional and

national level; and, ensure that through effective coordination across our relevant

programmes and activities, the needs and gaps are addressed effectively.

1.4. The Secretary-General pointed to the fact that early warnings systems do exist for many

natural hazards, but stressed that WMO and NMHSs must work together with partners to

improve them. The challenge is to ensure that all countries, particularly the least

developed countries, have the systems, infrastructure, human capacity and organizational

structures to develop and utilize early warning systems. He stressed that nations must

recognize that investing in preventive activities should lead to significant savings over time.

In addition to deploying resources to strengthen pre-disaster systems for early warnings,

hydro-meteorological risk assessment should be an integral part of any development plan

in every country. In closing, the Secretary-General urged the Group to also discuss the

resources necessary to ensure that DPM Programme can accomplish its tasks

successfully, effectively and in a timely manner and urged the Group to address resource

requirements of the Programme.

1.5. The Chairman thanked the Secretary-General for his opening remarks and added that

WMO should follow the outcome of the WCDR and extend its capabilities and contributions

by strengthening its partnerships, stressing the importance of partnership with UNESCO –

IOC.

2. Adoption of the Agenda

2.1. The agenda was adopted (Annex 2).

3. Review of the Background

3.1. The terms of reference of the Group were reviewed (Annex 3). The Chairman stressed

that the ECAGDPM must find a way to identify the most important goals of the WMO

Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Programme, and review activities and

accomplishments of the Secretariat since EC-LVI. Furthermore, the Group should consider

the implications of some of the latest developments (e.g., the Group on Earth Observations

– GEO) for enhancing early warning capabilities and determine activities that could lead to

a higher visibility for WMO and NMHSs. Finally, the Group must address the preparation of

documents for the next EC and ultimately for the next Congress.

3.2. Progress of DPM Programme since EC-LVI. The Group was briefed on activities of the

DPM in the following areas, i) Coordination of WMO activities for the World Conference on

Disaster Reduction, ii) Development of promotional materials for WMO activities in

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Disaster Reduction, iii) Coordination and development of WMO’s strategy and proposal in

response to the Asian Tsunami Disaster and successes with resource mobilization, iv)

Initiation of the coordination activities of DPM within WMO Secretariat, including mapping

of the activities of WMO Programmes, v) Activities related to Technical Commissions and

Regional Associations, vi) Activities to evaluate potential partnerships among international

and regional organizations, initiatives and programmes, vii) Evaluation of partnerships with

the private sector related to hydro-meteorological of information.

Discussion: A consistent theme for the DPM was stressed early in the discussion: the

necessity to avoid bureaucracy while building on the effectiveness of WMO Programmes

and NMHSs. The Group stressed the need for a clear understanding of the Secretariat’s

approach to crosscutting activities related to climate and the linkages to disasters. The

importance of the regional component of the Programmes was noted, and it is expected

that regional associations in their next sessions might consider establishment of a working

group on DPM. The Group noted the need to establish and strengthen partnerships and

that WMO must clearly identify other organizations capabilities, determine its unique role

compared to others, and potential areas of collaboration.

It was noted that the tsunami disaster had raised awareness of the world to disaster

response, which is an excellent opportunity for advancing activities related to early warning

systems and prevention, hopefully not just for tsunami but also for a multi-hazards

approach to disaster reduction. The tsunami disaster is just an example, but one of great

importance because of the amplitude and the extent of destruction. Incorporation of

meteorological and hydrological information is essential and the role of NMHSs needs to

be promoted with politicians.

It was noted that many resources at the national level are unfortunately distributed through

different organizations and do not reach the NMHSs. While not all NMHSs have

capabilities (and/or the mandate) for tsunami warning, all can be helpful related to multi-

hazards and their alert mechanisms and infrastructure may be utilized for dissemination of

tsunami warnings.

3.3. World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) –

3.3.1. The preparations for, activities during, and actions that followed the WCDR were

described by the Secretariat. The advance planning and effective coordination among

programmes and with representatives from the NMHSs led to a successful

participation in the Conference. Through the Secretariat’s working closely with the

drafting committee and the Member country delegations, WMO’s strategic goals were

assimilated into the outcome document of the Conference.

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3.3.2. The Chairman stressed that every NMHS should be recognised as the “single voice”

for warning services in their respective country, under their mandate. However, such

recognition should always be ensured by the quality of warnings issued by NMHS.

WMO and NMHSs could benefit from,

Stronger partnerships,

Concrete action plans with respect to different regions and their specific needs and

capabilities,

Stronger linkage between hydrology and meteorology,

Offering their infrastructure for dissemination of alerts and warnings,

Building capabilities for hazard mapping and risk assessment,

Coordination of activities across WMO Programmes, Technical Commissions and

Regional Association,

Establishment of expert teams for disaster reduction. These have to be accompanied

with a sound resource-mobilization plan. The need to address technological and

chemical disasters that were either originated by natural disasters or that occurred

independently was noted, along with the importance of the WMO Emergency

Response Activities. The need to share definitions of hazard, vulnerability, risk, risk

assessment and other relevant terminology with the WMO community was stressed.

It was noted that the current name of the Programme (Natural Disaster Prevention and

Mitigation) might be misleading as WMO activities spanned the entire spectrum from

Prevention and Mitigation, to Preparedness and Emergency response and recovery. The

word, “Natural” might be removed from the Programme’s title, if possible, to make it more

generally applicable.

3.4. Other relevant developments and opportunities

3.4.1. Tsunami Early Warning System – The Group was briefed on WMO’s coordinated

approach to responding to the Tsunami disaster and presented WMO’s strategy,

approach and activities in this area. WMO has taken immediate action to establish

strong recognition of its critical role and relevant contributions in this area among the

countries at risk, as well as the donor countries. WMO’s activities are focused in four

areas:

i) Ensuring that its Global Telecommunications System (GTS), which is

operational in the Indian Ocean would accommodate various tsunami – related

data and early warnings during the interim period as well as longer term.

WMO’s GTS is currently utilized for data collection and dissemination as well

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as dissemination of tsunami early warnings for the Tsunami Warning System in

the Pacific (TWSP). WMO in collaboration with the Indonesian Meteorology

and Geophysics Agency held a multi-disciplinary technical meeting, inviting

experts from UNESCO-IOC and all interested countries to develop a technical

specification work plan to guide the necessary modifications to the GTS in the

Indian Ocean region (14-18 March, Jakarta, Indonesia). Funds of the order of

1.3 Million USD are required for the completion of all the tasks outlined in the

GTS upgrade proposal. To this end, WMO had received commitment for

400,000 USD and had made plans to raise the remaining 900,000 USD over

next few months.

ii) Promotion, development and implementation of multi-hazard end-to-end early

warning systems with consideration for other hazards, which pose a more

frequent risk, such as tropical cyclone and storm surge.

iii) Raise awareness on i) the critical role of the NMHSs as operational

organizations responsible for the issuance of around-the-clock early warnings

for a wide rage of hazards related to weather and water, such as tropical

cyclones, storm surges and floods; and, ii) the potential for all NMHSs to make

significant contributions to reducing national and regional risks of threatening

natural hazards, given appropriate resources, technical and organizational

capacity, and strong interfaces with their national risk management

communities.

iv) Training workshops and seminars of its scientific and technical programmes

(such as the Public Weather Services Programme) as part of WMO’s

educational and promotional activities targeted at NMHSs, the decision-makers

and the public, to: i) Enhance NMHSs capabilities in delivering effective early

warnings for multi-hazards, including tsunamis (if it is in their mandate), ii)

Increase collaboration and partnership between NMHSs and end users, and

assist in developing and strengthening the NMHSs’ educational and

awareness-raising activities that describe the characteristics and impacts of

multi hazards including tsunamis.

A USA proposal was described, for strengthening the Tsunami Early Warning system

in the Pacific and the development of Tsunami Early Warning Systems in the

Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean. It was announced that USAA would commit to

supporting the DPM’s tsunami related activities, which are a good starting point for all

hazard activities. USA warning statistics indicates a 75 % false alarm rate, and the

observation of an earthquake does not usually mean that a tsunami will result. Ocean

buoys are critically needed for this determination. The USA plans to install a network

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of Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART) buoys in the Pacific,

the Atlantic and the Caribbean (1 buoy every 1000 KM along the known subduction

faults: 32 DART buoys in the Pacific and the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Nearly 57

DART buoys would need to cover the world’s oceans in that manner. The observing

and regional and national tsunami early warning centers are just one component of

what would be needed in an end-to-end Tsunami early warning system. Effective

dissemination, public understanding and community response are essential

components of a successful early warning system, and the RANET system was noted.

It was noted that capabilities with regards to seismic and tsunami early warning varied

significantly from country to country. Furthermore, countries need a system for

communicating the warnings, which depends on individual countries requirements. A

major hurdle would be data sharing issues, as early warning systems particularly for

tsunami and also other hazards would experience elevated false alarms if data is not

available and shared among the parties involved.

Concern was expressed as to who would fund such activities. NMHSs can contribute

significantly to an early warning system, as they are the only operational agencies

performing services around the clock and would be able to perform the proposed

tsunami-warning role. However, lack of connection among the NMHSs, and

knowledge gaps of the politicians of the current WMO capabilities, pose major

problems. The Group noted that there is need for a greater integration of services at

the national level.

The discussion reached consensus on the following issues:

Need for a multi-hazards end-to-end early warning approach leveraging off the

existing capabilities to ensure effective and immediate response,

Effective and reliable communication capabilities,

Need for strong multi-hazard educational programme targeted at Public,

decision-makers, media and other stakeholders,

Ability to respond effectively to support disaster recovery and restoration. The

Group concluded that the Secretariat should identify areas to which NMHSs

successfully contribute and act.

3.4.2. Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) – The GEO issued a

Communiqué from the EOS III meeting in Brussels, relating to the GEO Support for

Tsunami and Multi Hazards Warning Systems. One of the nine “high priority societal

benefits areas” of GEO is disasters, and the WMO DPM Programme and WMO Space

Programme will be effective mechanisms for interfacing with GEOSS. WMO is taking

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a leadership role in ensuring a more coordinated and effective utilization of space

technologies for addressing monitoring, data collection and dissemination needs for

disaster prevention, preparedness and response, with a multi-hazard approach.

3.4.3. Report on the Education and Training Symposium to be carried out by the WMO

ETR Programme. The next ETR symposium on training of the meteorologist and

hydrological community will focus on developments of effective products for disaster

reduction.

3.4.4. Small Island Developing States (SIDs) and Least Developing Countries (LDCs) – A

brief review of the Secretariat’s actions to develop WMO strategy for SIDs and LDCs

was provided, which also described the Mauritius SIDS meeting in January 2005.

Disasters constitute major challenges to both SIDs and LDCs.

4. Discussion of item 4 (Revisions to the DPM Implementation Plan) was carried out in

conjunction with item 8, and is reported under item 8.

5. Multi-Hazard Approach to Disaster Reduction – Natural hazards, which can be of hydro

meteorological origin (e.g. windstorms, snowstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, hail, heat waves,

frost, forest fires, floods, flash floods, droughts and storm surges), or other types (smog,

earthquakes, chemical spills, landslides, etc.). Warnings are only part of the cycle of activities

in disaster reduction. It would be critical that the NMHS work would not stop with issuance of a

warning, but would continue through linkages established in the disaster reduction decision

process in their countries. The NMHSs should consider their critical role as “input” into various

aspect of disaster reduction taking into account also man-made disasters rather than just

delivering products. The RODOS (the European Real time Online Decision Support system for

nuclear disasters) was described. RODOS exemplifies the closer ties that are needed between

neighbouring NMHSs in the Regions. The Group noted that NMHSs should cooperate closely

with emergency structures, which can result in better recognition of NMHSs.

6. Regional Activities, Needs, Gaps and Requirements to Enhance the Role of WMO - The

Chairman requested that the members of the Group provide comments on the issues;

challenges, gaps and needs related to a multi-hazard disaster reduction activities of NMHSs

within their regions, as the first preliminary assessment of these issues prior to EC-LVII. It was

requested that the Members of the Group provide their input before the end of April to the

Secretariat.

6.1 Major Challenges and Issues facing NMHSs –The meeting discussed challenges and issues facing NMHSs related to disaster reduction.

RA I

The major causes of disasters in Africa are drought, floods and tropical cyclones, each of

which occurs annually somewhere on the continent. Agrometeorological authorities

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manage drought monitoring nationally. There are also three regional centres: the Drought

Monitoring Centre, Harare, Zimbabwe; the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications

Centre (ICPAC) in Nairobi, Kenya; and the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for

Development (ACMAD) in Niamey, Niger.

Floods occur every year as a result of a tropical cyclones, or extreme precipitation. Flood

forecasting and dissemination of early warnings of floods and flash floods are managed

collaboratively by national meteorological services and national hydrological services.

NMSs provide forecasts of rainfall intensity to NMHSs who then carry out flood forecasting

and issue flood warnings.

Around 10 tropical cyclones make landfall in Africa each year. Madagascar, Mauritius,

Mozambique and Zambia are the most frequently affected. Monitoring and prediction are

done in the NMHSs, supported by the centre in la Reunion (operated by Météo France).

Information is disseminated rapidly over the GTS. There are about 20 nations vulnerable to

tsunamis in eastern and western coast of Africa, however, tsunamis are a relatively new

hazard for Africa.

With respect to major challenges faced by NMHSs to provide beneficial services for the

reduction of impacts of natural hazards, the Region faces a number of challenges:

The acquisition/maintenance of the equipment and expendables/consumables

(e.g. radiosondes) for weather/climate/water monitoring is too costly for many

countries;

GTS is very useful, but some countries cannot afford the costs of upgrading to

currently available speeds, and communications in some countries are very poor

and speeds are still very low. Furthermore, some of the GTS Regional Hubs in

the area are not operational. There is need to revamp these “silent” hubs;

There is need for capacity building and technology transfer to enhance the

technical capabilities of NMHSs as well as need to enhance technical training

for utilization of equipment that provides multi-hazard information.

Some countries have satellite ground receiving stations useful for

meteorological forecasting. They could also be used for monitoring fires and

other hazards; development of this skill will require training

WMO and NMHSs are doing a good job on basic education/training, but there is

always more that can be done. Public awareness training is virtually non-

existent – training is needed to inform the public on what to do to prevent or

minimize impacts

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The 2001 GCOS workshop in Kisimu had developed an action plan, including strategies

for bulk purchase of consumables (for lower costs) and the plan needs to be

implemented. Activities in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) were

described, including a multi-disciplinary and multi-hazard approach to natural hazards.

Levels of cooperation with emergency planners vary by country.

RA II

An informative presentation services in Japan related to DPM was made. Japan is highly

disaster prone (468 events in 2004 alone). Services of the JMA were described, related to

observations needed for disaster prevention and mitigation (space, upper air, radar,

surface, oceans, etc.); international data exchange; analysis, forecasting and application of

information including development of tailored products for end-users (e.g. warnings,

advisories, and forecasts (typhoon, weather, one-week forecasts, aeronautical and marine).

The information is passed to citizens, through local, city and central authorities and mass

media.

The presentation noted the importance of strong collaboration between meteorological

services and disaster prevention authorities; the importance of better data exchange for

improvement of the accuracy of forecasts; the need for enhanced information-sharing

systems for rapid exchange of information and products; and the need for multi-disciplinary

collaboration for improved disaster response. Strong collaborations and partnerships with

other agencies in Japan responsible for different hazards have proved to be very effective

and helped in enhancing the profile and effectiveness of JMA and its partners. The JMA

collaboration mechanisms were noted, with the different national authorities in Japan for

joint developments, information exchange and joint issuance of warnings and alerts related

to flooding, sediment and landslides, and fire, as potential mechanisms that might be

adopted by other NMHSs in their respective countries. For NMHSs to receive the

necessary recognition at the political level, they should take proactive action to strengthen

their linkages with authorities and institutions. Furthermore, NMHSs need to make

initiatives to approach ministers on their role. The importance of Regional activities among

NMHSs was stressed – the Typhoon Committee, established in the 1970s in Southeast

Asia is a very successful example of regional collaboration addressing all component of a

typhoon including typhoon warning, related flood forecasting and hazard mapping,

research, capacity building and technology transfer and education. Through its support of

an RSMC, JMA has played a critical role towards this success. Similar to RA IV, this

example can be used as a model and can be built upon for other hazards.

The JMA’s activities related to tsunamis were presented, including two training courses

offered in Japan in 2005. The JMA works very closely with educational organizations

involved in training of the population from elementary level to higher education. There is

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need for NMHSs to provide continuous education of the public and the political

representatives through various opportunities (educational, promotional and media

linkages) on the benefits of their services.

The DPM-related activities in China were also presented. The RA II Typhoon committee

(which recently held its 37th session) has three working groups, on meteorology, hydrology

and on disaster prevention. The CMA-supported RSMC plays a key role in this, and holds

workshops and seminars for the region amongst other contributions. China suffers

considerable losses each year due to natural hazards, so prevention of natural disasters is

a major concern. Approximately 6% of China’s GDP is at risk to disasters. Last year, China

developed a plan for natural disaster prevention, including a public warning system based

on use of colours to express the severity of the hazard (e.g., red signifies high risk). China’s

plans are based on the understanding that it is cost-effective to prevent disasters.

RA III

Forest fires, droughts and floods are common hazards in RA III. Important aspects of

disaster prevention include collaboration, communication and promotion of public

awareness. In Uruguay, the policy is focused more on prevention than on rehabilitation --

early warnings and risk assessments are vital to this.

The process for dealing with fires involves collaboration with universities and forest

services, sharing data and information. There are different variables associated with

drought, which are handled differently by the national drought and emergency committees.

Countries in RA III (Brazil and Uruguay) are participating in a WMO trans-boundary water

resources integrated flood project. Flood prevention includes dealing with sea-level rise. It

might be possible to totally prevent impacts of sea-level rise, but it would be at the expense

of economic development. RA III is looking at optimal long-term strategies.

RA III wants the GCOS Plan of Action to be implemented, desires WMO support for natural

disaster prevention, and would appreciate WMO publications on relationships of natural

hazards to loss of life, cost of impacts, etc. It would be valuable to raise awareness in

governments, of the risks.

RA IV

Considerable historical information and data are available on hydro-meteorological

hazards and disasters around the world. The WMO coordinated programme on

hurricanes, tropical cyclones and typhoons is very effective -- results improve every year.

The RA IV Hurricane Committee was established 30 years ago, and is very effective. Its

mandate could be expanded to include other hazards. The importance was stressed of

building on existing organizational structures and infrastructures within the regions in the

multi-hazard approach, and of characterizing and ranking the regional hazards. In RA IV,

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the USA plays a key role in helping nations in training/education, numerical modelling,

infrastructure, etc. While the hurricane warning programme and its watches and

warnings are up to standard, there are 2 key issues that need to be addressed: i)

Communication – the problem of reaching all end-users in time, with the appropriate

information is challenging and the mechanisms do not exist in many areas, and ii)

Education of the Public – the population needs to be educated in what to do with the

information and how to respond to protect themselves and their communities.

In RA IV an integrated approach is used: as most casualties from hurricanes originate

from freshwater extreme events, the two hazards cannot be separated. The tropical

cyclone early warning system is an excellent example of effective information sharing,

regional approach that generates annual improvements and user feedback. The

challenges are to effectively communicate uncertainty associated with the forecasts to

manage the expectations of the decision makers and the public with respect to

capabilities for forecasting, and to work with, and communicate more effectively with

emergency planners, to manage their expectations better.

There is still a lot to do to develop interagency cooperation and that it is important that

NMHSs provide data and information to those agencies which need it for disaster

prevention. It is critical to ensure that training modules are kept up-to-date, to maintain

the NMHS’s credibility.

It was noted that Cuba is training people for all matters of emergencies, to save lives.

Their communities are well practiced (as with fire drills) for rare, but high-impact events.

The DPM Programme together with the Public Weather Service and with systematic input

from other programmes at WMO should help the NMHSs in establishing programmes of

education and training targeted at their stakeholders in all countries.

RA V

It was noted that in Australia, local governments are empowered to operate warning

systems for floods and flash floods. The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) taps into this

process and has access to the data – there is a good level of coordination and cooperation

across organizations in the country. BoM has special arrangements with water resources to

provide floods forecasts and related services. In cases where the bureau would propose

location of a hydrological gauge in a specific place, this is negotiated with the state

hydrological services. Australia has state emergency services, and there is excellent

cooperation with media services at local, state and national levels. The monitoring and

disaster prevention activities in the Bureau are very valuable to other agencies (e.g., those

responsible for national water resources).

RA VI

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A presentation of Italy described the emergency warning system, which is recently

established and is managed by a central authority, although it involves close collaboration

with the local authorities. Italy has many disasters every year related to floods, particularly

in the north, forest fires, earthquakes, avalanches, and volcanic eruption. In Italy Civil

Protection is part of the Presidency of Council of Ministers. The country is divided into more

than 100 zones based on different phenomena, including meteorological factors. The

meteorological service provides all its products to the central authority, and has developed

good cooperation in issuance of warnings of natural hazards. The consortium involved in

this process includes universities, hydrologists, specialists in numerical computation, etc.

The process begins with input from global models (e.g. ECMWF), which is fed into a high-

resolution Local Area Model (COSMO). In a non-dangerous situation, only forecasts are

issued. In critical conditions, warnings and prevention efforts (evacuations, etc) can be

initiated hours before the crisis, in all appropriate zones. The meteorological service stays

involved throughout the process, providing satellite imagery, etc. This method is improving

disaster response in Italy, although there has been some resistance within the

meteorological service due to diffusion of visibility.

Some countries such as the UK have hydrological services managed separately from

meteorological services, which causes problems with respect to availability of the full suite

of hydro-meteorological data, and for warnings of hydrology-related events. These

countries would benefit from the examples of successful (integrated) warning systems in

operation in countries such as Japan, China and the Czech Republic. For multi-hazard

disaster prevention, it is important to have access to all pertinent data. This has several

dimensions. To carry out high quality forecasts, there is a need for high-resolution data.

Many organizations (public and private), collecting data, are not willing to share this

information openly. Many NMHSs do not share their data with the users. These practices

compromise the quality of service and the benefits of NMHSs to the society. The European

Union method, called European Multi-service Meteorological Risk Awareness (EMMA),

which uses the Météo France Vigilance system, is similar to the Chinese public warning

system. These techniques provide good models of trans-boundary cooperation, and such

services are useful in ensuring that severe hazards are similarly described from one

country to the next, to reduce uncertainty in the user groups. The Group noted that the UK

has offered to demonstrate EMMA to any interested countries.

Recommendations:

The Members made the following recommendations to enhance the role of NMHSs in the

Regions:

Members must deal with all kinds of hazards. To this end cooperation of DPM with

PWS is critical to develop effective multi-hazard warning mechanisms of the NMHSs

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linked with a strong educational and training programme targeted at public, media

and other stakeholders.

Activities in a number of countries would provide good examples of ‘best practices’

for utilization of hydro-meteorological services for disaster reduction. These need to

be identified, documented and shared.

Some concepts and models for interaction of NMHSs with authorities and

relevant organizations at national level might be translated for other

countries, where such linkages are lacking.

All Regional Associations should submit to the Secretariat by no later than

the end of April 2005 information on their regional needs, gaps and ‘best

practices’ examples.

There is a need for education and training programmes and awareness raising

delivered through the NMHSs on the characteristics and impacts of weather-,

climate- and water-related hazards targeted at public, media, governments (local,

national), decision-makers and other stakeholders. This is a major gap within the

services of NMHSs across all countries;

Public Weather Service (PWS) Programme has excellent potential to assist

NMHSs in their educational and training programmes targeted at the public

and other stakeholders, in partnership with other economic, political, and

educational partners in the region.

The tsunami exercise presents an excellent window of opportunity to launch

such activities.

Events to raise awareness should include taking advantage of interview

opportunities with the media.

It is important to make better use of regional entities (e.g. organizations and entities

with strong linkages with the emergency planning activities and players) and

coordinate such things as training and education opportunities with them.

Workshops and meetings for NMHSs in the regions should include the risk

managers and decision-makers to initiate and develop strong understanding

and relations.

NMHSs should take initiative to approach ministers on their potential role

and benefits. The Secretariat could help this approach by providing the

smaller NMHSs with some materials. It is important to demonstrate to

political leaders the benefits of the daily services and forecasts, and

continual improvement in accuracy and in dissemination.

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As a follow up to WCDR, a regional conference on disaster reduction in Asia

will be held in China in 2005. There is an opportunity for WMO and NMHSs

to participate proactively.

It is critical to identify WMO’s successes and best practices (e.g., globally

coordinated tropical cyclone early warning capabilities) and build on them in

expanding WMO’s capabilities to other hazards.

The sharing of data, particularly in emergencies, and ensuring the availability

of all data, whether public or private for all users, is essential to successful

disaster prevention and mitigation. National data policies need to be

addressed, and clear national laws regarding data exchange, at least during

emergencies, be established.

There is need to characterize, rank, and map regional weather-, climate- and water-

related hazards (on the basis of their risk and probability of occurrence)

It would be helpful to develop a meteorological/hydrological hazard

yearbook.

WMO through coordination of DPM Programme should develop a catalogue

of world events (hazards), those of low probability and high impact.

All Regional Associations should submit to the Secretariat by no later than the end

of April 2005 information on their hazards, information needs, capabilities, gaps and

requirements. It was recommended that RAs concentrate on identification of the

key gaps for their Region for DPM, and make proposals for addressing them,

including action the Secretariat could take.

6.2 Discussion of “International, Regional and National Cooperation” was carried out in

conjunction with item 6.3, and is reported under item 6.3.

6.3 Coordination of Cross-Cutting Activities of WMO

Different WMO programmes contribute to various aspects of DPM, including those that focus

on climate time scales, as these are especially important for prevention activities. WMO has

made very good progress on dealing with short-term hazards such as tropical storms, but there

is still a lot of work needed on the very short range, and on the much longer climate timescales.

To be effective in prevention of disasters, WMO needs to invest in and coordinate research

between relevant programmes (e.g., WCRP, WWRP, GCOS, IPCC, THORPEX, WCP, and

HWR), to enhance knowledge and to develop services that cover all timescales in a more

systematic manner. It will also be important to enhance inter-organization mechanisms and communication mechanisms, to better coordinate all the various DPM related activities.

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Coordination mechanisms proposed should facilitate effective collaboration and coordination

among all the major programmes of the WMO, the DPM Programme Office, the Secretariat

DPM Steering Committee and its related task teams; the Regional Associations; Technical

Commissions; national focal points (there are 114 nominated to date); regional stakeholders

through their advisory panels (e.g. development banks and regional disaster management

communities); and partners for cross-agency coordination. To this end, it is critical to develop

mechanisms that could facilitate utilization of the existing organizational structures to carry out

the tasks smoothly.

Discussion:

It was noted that NMHSs already have the responsibility for development of a wide range of

warnings. It is important to coordinate WMO activities (with other relevant agencies and

organizations on various levels, national, regional and international). To this end the DPM

programme can support WMO in strengthening existing, and establish new partnerships with

relevant regional and international partnerships and collaborations to enhance WMO’s

contributions. Members’ individual experiences should be better shared, gaps within

programmes and capabilities identified, and a concrete prioritised plan developed to fill these

mechanisms – the “evolutionary”, not “revolutionary” approach will be preferred. It is vital to not

create more of “a mechanism” than is needed, to identify the current capabilities; build on them

to strengthen the NMHSs so they can be more effective in delivering the required services and

inputs into the policy and disaster reduction decision making process. The Secretariat should

provide necessary assistance in a supporting role.

It was suggested that WMO must work within existing programmes, resources and

mechanisms. Some components of the DPM mechanism may need help from WMO, but the

overall intent is to work within existing national or regional structures and to cooperate with

them closely. The full number of existing teams and working groups are not resourced, and

adding new initiatives will possibly make things worse for the existing teams. NMHSs need to

better satisfy the expectations of the various users of their services, and communicate better

the current capabilities. The Group recommended that the DPM proceed step-by-step and not

to be too ambitious (e.g., don’t attempt to build everything around the tsunami warning systems

immediately), as any failure could put t WMO’s and the NMHSs’ credibility at stake.

As one possible mechanism, the regional associations might consider establishing one or more

rapporteurs in each region, and ad hoc working groups to address specific issues and

questions. The nominated focal points should be helpful at the national level, and also through

ad hoc Regional working groups.

6.4 Education and Awareness Raising targeted at the Public and other Stakeholders

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The Group was informed that in USA NOAA carries out a significant amount of public and

community education, and works in collaboration with many entities, such as the media,

disaster managers, FEMA, and the Red Cross to develop materials that will help the public

take appropriate action in case of a potential disaster. NMHSs generally are composed of

people who are physical scientists, and need to work closely with sociologists and others who

understand how humans act and think before, during and after a disaster. It is important to

ensure that, during a hazardous event, related information from the different sources is

harmonized. Effective multi-agency, multi-disciplinary coordination is required to ensure

common communications.

The Group also noted the importance of research and innovation in this area and emphasized

that WMO needs to identify the priorities for the research needed to support DPM activities,

together with development of inventories, and Guidelines for NMHSs.

In addition to forecasts and warnings, education and training, WMO is also involved in the

development of building codes, and collects the data needed for the warnings and for effective

planning. The Group proposed that the Presidents of Technical Commissions address such

crosscutting DPM issues more proactively during the meetings of the PTC.

6.5 Active Role and Participation of NMHSs in National Disaster Reduction (Visibility, Credibility, linkages, resource mobilization)

The Group noted that the EC Advisory Group on the Role and Operation of NMHSs has

created material on what Members should do for DPM (Annex 4). The document on the Role

and Operation of NMHSs (high level executive summary) will focus on key issues from a

societal perspective, and must show the links between natural disasters and food security,

poverty and sustainable development.

The Group was informed on recent activity regarding resource mobilization. WMO has a clear

plan of action for tsunami and related multi-hazard activities involving NMHSs. A

comprehensive proposal has been developed, building on WMO’s existing capabilities, to

attract donors. WMO has attended relevant conferences, repeating the WMO DPM message.

WMO is working one-on-one with countries and donor agencies. To date a number of financial

commitments have been made to strengthen the GTS. However, as part of WMO’ multi-hazard

strategy and related action plan, a clear strategy, plan of action, and supporting materials

should be developed and used by appropriate bodies within the WMO network (e.g.,

Secretariat, regional offices, regional associations and the NMHSs at national level) for

resource mobilization, involving fund raising with donor countries, economic groupings and

development entities, other international, regional and national bodies. The importance of

major conferences was stressed as a mechanism for raising visibility on the benefits of WMO’s

and NMHSs’ roles to develop further opportunities for fund raising. To this end, the Third

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International Early Warning Conference proposed by the Government of Germany to be held in

late 2006 or early 2007 presents an excellent opportunity.

Discussion:

It was noted that NEPAD (New Partnership for African Development) promised to fund

upgrades to the WWW in Africa during the World Summit for Sustainable Development, but this

has not been realized. Donors are willing to fund projects they see to enhance the conditions

in developing countries and the LDCs, but meteorological agencies and observing programmes

are not seen as ‘pro-poor’. It will be helpful to stress the benefits of observations to forecasts

and warnings to the important causes (i.e. promotion of sustainable development and reduction

of poverty.)

The Group concluded that NMHSs should be more active and need to avail themselves of

opportunities to raise visibility of their services. Disasters often offer such opportunities for

attracting attention to NMHSs warning services by politicians, media and public. The recent

tsunami provided an opportunity in Italy for scientists concerned about volcanism in that

country to raise funds. Meteorological services have to be prepared to use such opportunities

when they present themselves.

The Group noted that the third conference on early warnings would be a good venue for

fundraising and elevating WMO visibility. WMO was not well represented at the second of

these conferences. WMO has been communicating with the ISDR - International Platform for

the Promotion of Early Warnings regarding WMO’s participation in the third Conference on

Early Warnings Sponsored by the Government of Germany. In addition, WMO has taken

initiative to help develop a strategy for ISDR’s Interagency Task Force (ISDR-IATF) on disaster

reduction. Part of the goal is to identify what other organizations involved in the IATF do.

Follow up actions to ISDR and strategy of IATF were discussed at a meeting on 23 March

2005, of a subgroup of the IATF members.

The Group discussed further the value of assembling ‘best practices’ and stressed that the

identification of best practices, and the gaps that need to be filled, would be a critical step

forward to help NMHSs in the future. USA success in setting up the programme for Tsunami

warnings had happened because the experts had prepared and outlined the needs (and risks),

and had proposed appropriate coordination, in a proactive approach. The Center for Research

on Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) in Belgium already has an excellent database of natural

hazards and impacts, and they are looking for support, and proposed that WMO could help

CRED maintain and build this already established catalogue. The Group was informed that the

USA would be prepared to commit some resources towards this.

The Group acknowledged the need for more effective communication mechanisms including an

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effective website (with external and internal components for sharing of relevant public and

WMO-specific information) and use of information portals for distribution of databases, risk

identification tools within the WMO family. The RANET web portal was described and the

meeting was informed that the RANET project would be pleased to share this expertise to

upgrade the DPM web site.

7.0 Recommendations by the Members of EC AGDPM were discussed together with item 8

8.0 Summary of Main Goals and Tasks

The Group made the following observations and decisions:

The Secretariat will use the outcome of this meeting to revise the Implementation

Plan of the DPM Programme including a plan of action for WMO’s Multi Hazards

Strategy for Disaster Reduction.

The WMO Secretariat is a critical linkage for the whole WMO ‘family’ to various

relevant international and regional agencies, and in determining potential

collaborations and possibilities for joint activities.

The mapping of activities in all WMO major programmes is critically needed to

understand the current capabilities and to identify any gaps. This exercise should

also be carried out through the technical commissions, and also in the regional

associations. A preliminary level of analysis from the Regional Associations can be

carried out prior to EC regarding regional needs, gaps and capabilities, but much

more will be needed. Known gaps will be evaluated along the continuum from

adequacy of observations through to education and preparedness at the community

level. The details of a mechanism for carrying out more detailed analysis through

the Technical Commission and Regional Associations remains to be addressed.

Based on these gaps, concrete coordinated projects should be identified and implemented by appropriate components of WMO network. The Group

committed to provide initial documentation of the gaps, needs and requirement on a

regional basis to the Secretariat by the end of April, so that the information can be

included in the EC agenda and documentation in time. The input to EC will include

a proposal to develop more comprehensive lists of gaps and best practices, and

actions to address the gaps. Examples discussed in the meeting include technical

gaps in early warning capabilities, observations, risk identification capabilities (e.g.,

hydro-meteorological hazard mapping and related tools), effective collaboration and

coordination on international, regional, and national levels, educational

programmes, etc.)

Following the advice of this meeting, the DPM Programme in collaboration with

other WMO Programmes, NMHSs, the WMO Regional Associations and other key

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partners will collect and document best practices from projects and activities where

the appropriate linkages between the NMHSs and the risk management community

have been achieved and benefits of the services are realized in disaster reduction,

Following the advice of this meeting, the DPM Programme in collaboration with

other programmes and key partners will build the recommended catalogue of

weather-, water-, and climate-related natural hazards around the world (e.g. CRED

already has an excellent database of natural hazards and impacts). It was noted

that the USA would be prepared to commit some resources to support WMO to help

CRED maintain and build this already established catalogue.

WMO will provide support to the NMHSs to develop strong and sustainable

educational and training programmes on DPM topics targeted at their stakeholders.

WMO will provide support and documentation helpful for promotion of the NMHSs

and resource mobilization.

The input of the user community on international, regional and national levels is

critical for development of relevant and useful products and services by the NMHSs.

However, effective mechanisms to incorporate users’ input and requirements need

to be considered. One possibility involves partnership with international and

regional agencies that have strong linkage to the user community (i.e., authorities,

economic development entitles, emergency and disaster risk management

community, etc.). Other mechanisms should be further explored.

Most of the work, and solving many of the issues, will take place in the NMHSs and

RAs, but support and much of the coordination will be done by the Secretariat.

WMO should proactively participate in and contribute to key international

conferences such as the Third International Early Warning Conference to be held in

Germany in 2006/2007.

WMO as part of the Implementation plan should develop a communication strategy

and mechanisms for improving coordination within the WMO network and with

international and regional partners.

Regarding the mechanism through which WMO will help the Regions to identify

gaps and best practices, it was suggested that every regional association could add

the issues of DPM to their agenda and update the Terms of References (ToR)s of

their working groups and expert teams, and that each committee should endeavour

to include representatives of the disaster management and emergency community

in their meetings (groups such as Red Cross, FEMA, etc.).

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The input to EC will cover all of the eight ToRs of the ECAGDPM, and show EC how

the ECAGDPM intends to address them.

The meeting acknowledged the need for more effective communication

mechanisms including an effective website (with external and internal components

for sharing of relevant public and WMO-specific information) and use of information

portals for distribution of databases, risk identification tools within the WMO family,

and recommended that action be proposed by the Secretariat in the revised

implementation plan of DPM.

9. Other Issues

The Group discussed the importance of DPM program and the need for adequate resources for the

DPM office. The Group agreed that there is need to add extra resources to the DPM office in

terms of both professional and administrative staff and funding. Several Members strongly

supported the activities of the DPM and indicated commitment for secondments from their

countries to the Secretariat. The Group was informed that the UK is considering to provide ad hoc

voluntary assistance, including secondment of a person from the UK to support the development of

the DPM Programme and the USA and Japan also indicated strong support for the DPM

Programme. The Meeting strongly supported the addition of at least one scientific officer and a full

time secretary and indicated that the Secretary-General should consider this request within the

available resources. It was noted that beyond these resources, short-term secondments from

Members would also be important.

10.0 Closing of the Sessions:

The Chairman thanked the participants, the interpreters, the Secretariat for organizing this

meeting. He extended his appreciation to Mr. G. Lizano for his efforts related to initiation of the

DPM Programme.

Annex 1

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

Members of the EC Advisory Group on NaturalDisaster Prevention and Mitigation

I. Obrusnik (Chairman) Czech Republic A.J. Dania Netherlands AntillesD. Kamdonyo MalawiJ.J. Kelly, Jr. USA (represented by D.L. Johnson)G. Love Australia (represented by B. Stewart)

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M.S. Mhita United Republic of Tanzania (not able to participate)R. Michelini UruguayK. Nagasaka JapanQuin Dahe China (represented by Wang Bangzhong) M. Rabiolo Argentina (not able to participate)D. Rogers UKR. Sorani Italy

R. Masters Adviser to D.L. JohnsonJ. Ogren Adviser to D.L. JohnsonK. Sponberg Adviser to D.L. Johnson

WMO Secretariat

Hong Yan Deputy Secretary-General

M. Golnaraghi Chief Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation OfficeG. Lizano Special Advisor to Deputy Secretary-GeneralL. Malone Rapporteur

Directors of the Secretariat departments(and/or their senior officers) –

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Annex 2

Agenda and Time TableFriday March 18, 200514h00 – 14h15 1. OPENING OF THE SESSION

1.1 Welcome by Chairman (Dr. Ivan Obrusnik)1.2 Welcome by the WMO Secretary-General

14h15 – 14h20 2. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

14h20 – 15h00 3. REVIEW OF THE BACKGROUND

3.1 Establishment of the EC AG by EC-LVI (Chairman)3.1.1 Terms of Reference 3.1.2 Main goals of the first EC AG session

3.2 Progress of DPM Programme since EC-LVI – (Dr. Maryam Golnaraghi, C/DPM) - Activities and outcomes to date

15h00 – 15h30 Coffee Break15h30 – 16h30 3.3 World Conference on Disaster Reduction (Kobe ,

Japan) 3.3.1 Review and follow up to WCDR (C/DPM)3.3.2 Implications for future of WMO and

NMHSs (Chairman)3.4 Other relevant developments and opportunities

3.4.1 Tsunami Early Warning (C/DPM)3.4.2 GEO (C/DPM)3.4.3 SIDs and LDC perspectives (Secretariat

representative)3.4.4 WMO ETR Symposium 2006 on training of

Meteorologist related to DPM

16h30 – 17h00 4. REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN APPROVED BY EC – LVI, IN LIGHT OF LATEST DEVELOPMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Saturday March 19, 20059h00 – 10h30 5. MULTI-HAZARDS APPROACH TO DISASTER

REDUCTION6. REGIONAL ACTIVITIES OF DPM AND ENHANCEMENT

OF THE ROLE OF WMO (Reports by AG Members)6.1 Major Issues and Challenges facing NMHSs,

including need for stronger linkage between meteorology and hydrology, recognition and credibility at national level, organizational linkages, linkages to the end-users, delivery of user-driven integrated products and services

10h30 – 10h45 Coffee Break 10h45 – 12h00 6.2 International, regional and national cooperation

6.3 Coordination of cross-cutting activities of WMO through effective mechanisms involving Programmes, Technical Commissions and Regional Associations,

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as well as communication mechanisms across WMO and with external DPM community

6.4 Education and awareness raising targeted at the public and decision-makers

12h00 – 13h00 Lunch13h00 – 14h00 6.5 Active role and participation of NMHSs in national

disaster reduction activities - 6.5.1 NMHSs recognition and credibility at

national level, organizational linkages, stronger linkages to the end-users, delivery of user-driven integrated products and services, promotional, educational and awareness raising programmes

6.5.2 Opportunities for visibility and resource mobilization

14h00 – 15h00 7. RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE MEMBERS OF EC AG DPM 7.1 Prioritisation of result-driven activities, short-,

medium-, and long-term

15h00 – 15h15 Coffee Break15h15 – 16h00 8. SUMMARY OF MAIN GOALS AND TASKS

8.1 Upgrades to the DPM Implementation Plan in light of the latest developments and opportunities

8.2 Preparation of report to EC LVII

16h00 9. CLOSURE OF THE SESSION

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Annex 3

EC Advisory Group on Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Terms of Reference

Res. 5 (EC-LVI) – EC ADVISORY GROUP ON NATURAL DISASTER PREVENTION AND MITIGATION

THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL,

NOTING:

(1) Resolution 29 (Cg-XIV) – Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Programme,

(2) The Abridged Final Report with Resolutions of the Fourteenth World Meteorological Congress (WMO-No. 960), general summary paragraphs 7.4.1 to 7.4.21 and 3.4.1.23,

(3) Resolution 13 (Cg-XIV) — Public Weather Services Programme,

(4) The Final Report of the Meeting of Experts on Natural Disaster (Geneva, 15-17 March 2004),

(5) First Announcement of the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (18-22 January 2005, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan),

CONSIDERING:

(1) That natural disaster prevention and mitigation is a major concern for human socio-economic activities and environment protection,

(2) That natural disaster prevention and mitigation activities cover a wide range of programmes of WMO,

(3) That WMO must play a key role in the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction,

(4) That there is a need to establish an effective framework for coordination disaster prevention and mitigation within WMO,

(5) That there is the need for adequate reflection of issues relating to natural disasters prevention and mitigation of hydrometeorological origin in the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, and follow-up events thereafter,

DECIDES to establish an Executive Council Advisory Group on Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation with the terms of reference as given in the Annex to this resolution and with the following membership:

A.J. Dania, D. Kandonyo, J.J. Kelly, Jr.

G.B. Love, M. S. Mhita, R. Michellini

K. Nagasaka, I. Obrusnik, Qin Dahe

M. Rabiolo, R. Soriani

DESIGNATES I. Obrusnik………………………………..… as chair person of the working group;

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REQUESTS the Secretary-General to take the relevant actions to support the activities of this Advisory group.__________

Annex to Resolution 5(EC-LVI)

TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ADVISORY GROUP ON NATURAL DISASTER PREVENTION AND MITIGATION

(a) Contribute to the attainment of WMO vision through provision of appropriate guidance with respect to development and implementation of Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Programme at national and international levels;

(b) Oversee the activities on natural disaster prevention and mitigation from the various relevant WMO Programmes, in particular the activities of PWS Programme and DPM;

(c) Recommend strategies for resource mobilization from national funding agencies and from international development agencies, for NMHS activities relating to WMO Programmes on natural disaster prevention and mitigation activities;

(d) Contribute to the stronger involvement of NMHSs in their national emergency systems specially with respect to early warning;

(e) Promote and strengthen the cooperation between the WMO technical commissions, regional bodies, and of Members on natural disaster prevention and mitigation issues;

(f) Recommend suitable WMO outreach activities such as symposia, workshops, Technical Conferences and seminars which are directly concerned with natural disaster prevention and mitigation;

(g) Contribute to the development and implementation of WMO Long-term Plan by providing input, comments and recommendations with regards to the Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Programme;

(h) Consider any other matters relating to natural disaster prevention and mitigation that the Executive Council may specifically request.

_________________

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Annex 4

Report of the First Meeting of the EC Advisory Group on the Role and Operation of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services

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