WMO Services Commission Expands its Portfolio

The third session of the WMO Commission for Weather, Climate, Hydrological, Marine, and Related Environmental Services and Applications (SERCOM-3), which met in Bali, Indonesia, from 4 to 9 March, defined the best way forward for strengthening accurate, reliable, timely and useful services such as early warnings. Improvement will be based on the best possible data, infrastructure, models and expertise as well as on user engagement and feedback mechanisms. Viable partnerships, research, technology, innovation, capacity development and governance are required along the hydrometeorological value chain. 

The session, hosted by the Indonesia Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), re-elected Mr Ian Lisk (United Kingdom) as president and elected three new co-vice presidents: Mr Raymond Tanabe (United States of America), Ms Angela Corina (Italy) and Mr Ardhasena Sopaheluwakan (Indonesia). It further approved a new work programme for the inter-sessional period from 2024 to 2028, which will expand to integrate energy, health and urban services. A new Study Group on Renewable Energy Transition (SG-RENE) was established. 

SERCOM side-events were a source of in-depth information and discussion on many key topics:

• The impacts on Members of service delivery transformation in aeronautical meteorology
• Early Warnings for All
• The strengthening of marine service delivery
• The WMO Flood Forecasting Initiative (FFI) in the context of Early Warnings for All
• The refocussed Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS)
• WMO activities on strengthening water resources assessment and management
• The International Data Rescue (I-DARE) initiative.

SERCOM further encouraged Members to prioritize Gender Action activities. Though the representation of women in the SERCOM management groups is near parity, a lot remains to be done to achieve the same results at all levels. 

SERCOM-3 decisions and outcomes