Twelfth Session of the Research Board (RB-12)

Overview

The Twelfth Session of the Research Board (RB-12) provided members with an opportunity to identify actions to translate the strategic aims of WMO and the decisions of the Executive Council and Congress into overarching research priorities, and to consider how best to adapt to a rapidly changing environment to mobilize research internationally.

Summary of Key Outcomes

• Approved the Task Team on Artificial Intelligence for Weather (TT-AI4Wx) final report and decided not to establish a new AI task team, as priorities are being addressed by the research programmes and other WMO bodies;
• Endorsed the revised WMO Hydrology Research Strategy and decided to establish a new Task Team on the Plan of Action for Hydrology Research (TT-PoA4HydroResearch) to coordinate with the research programmes to address the eight activities under the RB’s responsibility in the WMO PoA for Hydrology;
• Decided not to establish a new task team on social science integration but suggested following up on next steps following the completion of the Task Team on Social Science and Geophysical Science Integration (TT-SSGSI) final concept note;
• Decided the RB Management Group will develop a communications strategy to elevate the value of research to WMO Members and other communities;
• Decided to engage in the WMO strategic planning process and seek to integrate input from a wide range of the research sector, including relevant international organizations;
• Approved B. Alaou (Morocco) to serve on World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) and Dr D. Kleist (USA) to serve a second term on the WWRP SSC from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2029, and
• Selected A. Lynch to serve as Chair of RB from January 2026 to December 2027
• Selected I. Pechlivanidis to serve as Vice-Chair of RB from June 2026 to December 2027.

Meeting Report

The RB-12 session report can be found here.