
Updated: 29-03-2024
Source: China Meteorological News Press
Recently, Mr. Phil Evans, EUMETSAT Director-General shared his comments and vision for deepening the pragmatic cooperation between CMA and EUMETSAT in an exclusive interview with CMA. Here is the full interview.
Interviewee: Mr. Phil Evans, Director-General of the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)
Journalist: LIU Shuqiao with China Meteorological News Press
Mr. Phil Evans, EUMETSAT Director-General accepted the interview from the journalist with China Meteorological News Press Photoed by LI Zishuo
Journalist: Since the bilateral agreement signed in 1998, the cooperation between EUMETSAT and CMA has scored marvelous results in various fields. What's your comment on the cooperative outcomes in key fields, such as meteorological satellites, data sharing, and personnel exchange?
Mr. Phi Evans: To put our bilateral cooperation into a global context, the world is facing remarkable challenges. In terms of climate change and severe weather impacts, it's crucial that we cooperate in partnership with the world to address these issues. So our partnership with CMA has been incredibly successful. It has delivered benefits both for the agencies but also helped contribute to multilateral cooperation, like WMO, CGMS, etc. We have established a great cooperation on operational satellite meteorology, data exchange, and others. On the science of satellite observations, it's been hugely successful.
Journalist: Could you please share some impressive stories, landmark cooperative cases or outcomes in bilateral cooperation?
Mr. Phi Evans: It's been many notable successes. The first that I would think of is CMA put FENGYUN-3 meteorological satellite into an early morning orbit. It has supported the global observing systems and that's been hugely helpful. It's a really positive move of CMA. Our data exchange has become increasingly important for both our Member states in Europe. And I think it helped CMA a great deal, but also the real value in having friendship across the world, building relationships between those of us in Europe and those in China. And I think that's been really important.
Journalist: What are your anticipation and suggestions as to deepening future bilateral cooperation between EUMETSAT and CMA?
Mr. Phi Evans: I want to say there are so many opportunities between us which can deepen our relationship. Too many we have mentioned probably, but together we need to work to support WMO WIGOS Vision for 2040, and ensure that the future space-based observing backbone meets the requirements of WMO. And the systems are working together well and in synchrony. And I think we can work together about how both our organizations can make use of data supply from commercial organizations, how we can understand the best use of AI and machine learning, etc. And they are just a few of the positive examples.
Journalist: From your perspective, what important role do satellites play in global disaster prevention and reduction?
Mr. Phi Evans: Well I think, especially under WMO Early Warnings for All Initiative, I think satellite data plays an incredibly important role in those parts of the world where the ground-based observation networks aren't that good. Satellites can provide an important role in providing observational data. And by processing that data, we provide warning services particularly in terms of nowcasting. So I think satellite observations are already very important. But I think in the future they would become more and more important to the global.
Journalist: In the future, how can CMA and EUMETSAT cooperate in areas like meteorological satellites, to implement the UN Early Warnings for All Initiative and promote global sustainable development?
Mr. Phi Evans: If we can develop systems and approach for turning satellite data into warning information, if we can make sure the data in the product servers are available around the world, for example in Africa, I think it will benefit societies hugely where they might not have the capacity or capabilities to deliver all the warnings or access all the data themselves.
Journalist: How do you comment on the application of FENGYUN meteorological satellites at regional scale, like in Europe and in terms of response to climate change and severe weather impacts?
Mr. Phi Evans: CMA's FENGYUN program is highly ambitious. The quality of the satellites, the data that come from them is very known around the world. So I think in diverse applications, weather warnings, general forecasting, monitoring climate change, providing climate services that help countries deal with the impacts of climate change, FENGYUN data will be absolutely invaluable.
Journalist: What's your vision of future cooperation between the two sides in operational meteorological satellite science and satellite application in particular?
Mr. Phi Evans: I think my vision is we should continue the deepen partnership we already have. I mean our relationship, our friendship with CMA is extremely strategic to EUMETSAT and to our member met services in Europe. And I think we should see that relationship, the partnership, grow and deepen, and find new areas where we can collaborate and deliver real benefits to the society and communities that we serve.
Journalist: What are your suggestions for EUMETSAT and CMA to jointly better serve the global user community in the future?
Mr. Phi Evans: I think both of us need to do several things. We need to make sure that as possible as we can satellites systems are coordinated and complementary. And we need to understand developing user requirements, what the users really need, how they are using the data. Once we understand that, together we make sure that the ways we disseminate data and products make them available to users in the best possible way. And I think working together we can achieve all of these things.
Editor: JIANG Zhiqing