Strengthening the capacity of Members to deliver marine services
WMO continues supporting NMHSs in delivering marine services through various activities, contributing to the Early Warnings for All and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development initiatives.
The completion, in February, of the four months’ WMO Marine Services Course (Phase I) for Arabic-speaking nations in RA I, II, and VI marked a significant milestone. Thirty participants from fifteen countries, including three priority-designated countries in the Early Warnings for All initiative (Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan) completed the first part of the programme. This achievement, facilitated by the Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) which serves as the Regional Training Centre (RTC) in Egypt, with support from the Marine Services Division and Education and Training Office, signifies progress in building capacity to address maritime challenges.
The Marine Services Competency Assessment Toolkit deployment has been completed and is aimed at assisting Members in the implementation of the WMO competency requirements. The toolkit is being tested in pilot countries and based on their experiences and initial outcomes, it will be further improved.
In the first quarter of 2024, WMO has participated in International Maritime Organization(IMO)/International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) key meetings on maritime safety, which have agreed on a course of action for the global operational implementation of the Iridium SafetyCast service (crucial for delivering early warnings to ships) as well as the ongoing revision of documentation related to maritime safety.
WMO has initiated discussions with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) clarifying tsunamis in the broader context of early warning initiatives and delineating responsibilities related to coastal hazards driven by atmospheric forces. During the WMO-IOC Joint Collaborative Board (online) and the UNESCO-IOC 16th Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Working Group (TOWS WG-XVI) held in Sendai, discussions highlighted the synergies between the WMO and IOC in addressing coastal risks. WMO’s role in supporting tsunami early warnings was highlighted in the newly published MMO Series 5: Tsunami Monitoring and Early Warnings: Critical and Collaborative Role of National Meteorological Services and the World Meteorological Organization. The publication summarizes the critical role that national meteorological services and WMO have played in tsunami early warning since the inception of international and regional efforts to establish such warning systems.
The criteria for Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres for Maritime Environmental Protection (RSMC MER) in support of non-nuclear marine pollution and Search and Rescue (SAR) operations has been approved by both SERCOM-3 and INFCOM-3 and is now being presented to EC-78 for approval, along with the establishment of a new RMSC for the Global Numerical Storm Surge Prediction (GNSSP).