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Wmo:An'nual Report 1994 The World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), of which 178'" States and Territories are Members, is a specialized agency of the United Nations. The purposes ofthe Organization are: (a) To facilitate world-wide cooperation in the establishment of networks of stations for the making of meteorological observations as well as hydrological and other geophysical observations related to meteorology, and to promote the establishment and maintenance of centres charged with the provision of meteorological and related services; (b) To promote the establishment and maintenance ofsystems for the rapid exchange of meteorological and related information; (c) To promote standardization of meteorological and related observations and to ensure the uniform pub­ lication of observations and statistics; (d) To further the application of meteorology to aviation, shipping, water problems, agriculture and other human activities; (e) To promote activities in operational hydrology and to further close cooperation between Meteorological and Hydrological Services; and (f) To encourage research and training in meteorology and, as appropriate, in related fields and to assist in coordinating the international aspects of such research and training. (Convention ofthe World Meteorological Organization, Article 2) The Organization consists of the following: The World Meteorological Congress, the supreme body of the Organization, brings together the delegates of Members once every four years to determine general policies for the fulfilment of the purposes of the Organization, to approve long-term plans, to authorize maximum expenditures for the following financial period, to adopt Technical Regulations relating to international meteorological and operational hydrological practice, to elect the President and Vice-Presidents ofthe Organization and members ofthe Executive Council and to appoint the Secretary-General; The Executive Council, composed of 36 directors of national Meteorological or Hydrometeorological Services, meets at least once a year to review the activities of the Organization and to implement the programmes approved by Congress; The six regional associations (Africa, Asia, South America, North and Central America, South-West Pacific and Europe), composed of Members, coordinate meteorological and related activities within their respective Regions; The eight technical commissions, composed of experts designated by Members, study matters within their specific areas of competence (technical commissions have been established for basic systems, instruments and methods of observation, atmospheric sciences, aeronautical meteorology, agricultural meteorology, marine meteorology, hydrology, and climatology); The Secretariat, headed by the Secretary-General, serves as the administrative, documentation and information centre of the Organization. It prepares, edits, produces and distributes the publications ofthe Organization, carries out the duties specified in the Convention and other Basic Documents and provides secretariat support to the work of the constituent bodies ofWMO described above. ';' On 31 December 1994 ANNUAL REPORT 1994 I WMO - No. 824 I Secretariat of the World Meteorological Organization - Geneva - Switzerland 1995 © 1995, World Meteorological Organization ISBN 92-63-10824-2 NOTE The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the World Meteorological Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Foreword by the Secretary-General ....... .. .................. .......... .. .... ..... ..... .................................... 1 Overview ...................................................................................................... ............................... 2 Climate change and environmental issues .............................................................. ................ 6 The global climate system in 1994 ............................ .................................................... .. ........ 10 International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction ...................... .................................... 14 World Weather Watch Programme ........... ... ............................ ............ .. .. ........ ... ........ .. .. ......... 15 World Climate Programme .... .... ... ............ .. ......... ... ...................................................... ..... ...... 21 Atmospheric Research and Environment Programme ................... ... .. .. ... ..... .......... .............. 25 Applications of Meteorology Programme ... ..... ... ........ .. ....................... ..... ... .... .. .... ..... ... .. .... ... 28 Hydrology and Water Resources Programme ..... .................. .............. .................................... 32 Education and Training Programme .......... ........................................... ......... .. .......... ... .......... 36 Technical Cooperation Programme .................................................................................... .... 40 Regional Programme ........................................... .... .. ... .... ..... ................................................... 44 Finance ... ............ ..... .... .... ........... ... ..... ....... .. ....... .. ................................. ............................. .... ... 47 Personnel ........... ... .. .... .............. ........................ .... ..... .. ...................................... ............. .. ... .... 48 Annexes I Members of the World Meteorological Organization .......... ...... .. .. .... .......................... 50 II Membership of the Executive Council and officers of regional associations and technical commissions ................ .. ................................. ......................................... 51 III Technical assistance provided in 1994 (summary) .............................. ..... ... .. ............. 53 IV Publications issued in 1994 ....................................... ............. ... ..................... .............. 58 V Abbreviations .................. .... ........ .. ... ..... ......................................................................... 60 Cover: National Meteorological and Hydrological Services contribute to a nation's economy; through benefits gained by; e.g., the energy; transport, irrigation, tourism and agricultural sectors (Water Resources Branch, Inland Waters Directorate, Environment Canada and the International Fund for Agricultural Development) The year 1994 witnessed several major events of interest perched on top of Mount Waliguan in China, and the to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Two of second is located at the southernmost tip of South the more important among them relate to the follow-up America, in Ushuaia, Argentina. to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Another important milestone for the Organization Development and its Agenda 21, namely the entry into was the launching of the World Hydrological Cycle force on 21 March of the UN Framework Convention on Observing System (WHYCOS). Initiated by WMO with Climate Change (UNIFCCC) and the opening for signa­ the support of the World Bank, WHYCOS will address ture on 14 October of the International Convention to the growing concerns about the lack of accessible Combat Desertification. WMO continues to provide information on the scarcity of freshwater resources and effective support to these Conventions, mainly by provid­ their sustainability in many parts ofthe globe. ing personnel and technical support to their Secretariats Through their support to the foregoing achievements and the scientific information that is required by policy­ and numerous others in the fields of meteorology and and decision-makers. The WMOIUNEP Intergovern­ operational hydrology, the national Meteorological and mental Panel on Climate Change completed during 1994 Hydrological Services contribute an estimated US $20 to its Special Report to the first Conference of the Parties 40 billion each year to the economies of countries world­ to the UN/FCCC to be held in Berlin, Germany, in wide. This was a major conclusion of the global March-April 1995. Conference on the Economic Benefits of Meteorological This year was also the mid-point of the International and Hydrological Services, the largest conference ever Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, and WMO held on the subject, which took place in Geneva from actively participated in the World Conference on 19 to 23 September 1994. Although the services provided Natural Disaster Reduction in Yokohama, Japan, in May are undervalued in most countries, over 250 experts 1994. Although the world today is a safer place because from 127 countries reached broad consensus that these the capability exists to forecast impending disasters and economic benefits amounted to five to ten times the to warn target populations of these events, this capabil­ budgets expended by the NMHSs of Member countries of ity is limited to only certain types of disasters and for WMO. specific areas ofthe globe. WMO's message at Yokohama During 1994, WMO also welcomed to its fold four new was that "warning systems for all" by the end of this Members, namely Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, century is an achievable goal with only a modest invest­ the Kyrgyz Republic and
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