Beyond Business as Usual – Closing the Capacity Gap
2018 Development Partners Conference
Strengthening and Sustaining Hydrometeorological Services
Context
According to the World Economic Forum 2018 Global Risks Report, four of the five most pressing risks the world is confronted with are related to weather, climate, and water. Demand for the provision of weather, climate, water services is rapidly increasing, and national hydrometeorological institutions play a central role for the provision of these services.
At the same time, many national hydrometeorological institutions in developing countries are confronted with major performance challenges. Therefore, the draft WMO Strategic Plan 2020-2023 sets an ambitious Goal - to close the capacity gap on weather, climate, and water services between developed and developing countries. Scaling up effective partnerships for investment is set as one of the main Strategic Objectives to achieve this Goal.
Conference objectives
Guided by the goal to close the capacity gap, and building on the outcomes of the first Development Partners Roundtable in 2016, the 2018 Conference aims to:
- Identify ways to increase the effectiveness of investments in national and regional hydrometeorological institutions to strengthen their weather, climate and hydrological service provision
- Identify ways to strengthen leadership and management capacities of hydrometeorological services, contributing to the sustainability of service provision
Expected Outcomes
- Agreed concrete ways to increase effectiveness of investments in hydro-meteorological services in developing countries
- Agreed next steps, including mutual commitments from international partners, as well as developing countries' hydrometeorological institutions, on how to contribute to increased development effectiveness
Participants
- National Meteorological and Hydrological Services from developing and developed countries;
- Financing and development partners including Multilateral Development Banks, UN organizations, bilateral development partners and climate finance institutions;
- Regional development institutions
Approach
The conference will provide the space for an interactive dialogue and joint thinking on how to go beyond business as usual in strengthening and sustaining hydrometeorological services. A series of panels and working groups will identify opportunities for scaling up what works and develop proposals on how to move forward in innovative ways.
Agenda
Click here to see the agenda (PDF).