Helen Bye
Helen is responsible for all of the Programmes and Projects managed by International Development, including the FCDO’s Weather & Climate Information Services (WISER) Programme covering MENA, Africa & Asia-Pacific, and the Weather to Climate Science to Services Partnership (WCSSP) for UK Government. This includes Met Office roles as Peer Advisor to the Systematic Observations Financing Facility and to the UK’s contribution to the Voluntary Cooperation Programme.
Helen created the Met Office’s International Development team to respond to the demand from the external donor community, other met services and NGOs, interested in understanding the climate and weather risk of their projects. Helen’s role critically remains at the cutting edge of the latest research, policy and emerging requirements of the external environment. This allows her and her team to match the capability needs of an individual beneficiary with that of a supporting donor.
Helen as the Principal Advisor to the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office coordinates the work of the Met Office to ensure they continue to meet the needs of the Department. She worked closely with FCDO (then DFID) in the run up to the 2019 Climate Action Summit, pioneering the creation of the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership a unique partnership bringing together humanitarian, development & climate communities. She continues to chair the Early Warning Initiative Working Group for the REAP Secretariat.
