On the occasion of World Meteorological Day (WMD), the journalist from China Meteorological News Press interviewed Dr. Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous, President of World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Regional Association II (Asia) and Director General of the National Center of Meteorology (NCM) of United Arab Emirates. The interview covered topics regarding WMD theme, common challenges of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), as well as NCM-CMA bilateral cooperation, etc.　

Dr. Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous, President of WMO RAII (Asia) and Director General of NCM

Journalist: Would you like to share interpretation of this year's WMD theme, The Future of Weather, Climate and Water across Generations?

Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous: As we mark the World Meteorological Day 2023, the theme for this year "The future of weather, climate, and water across generations", signifies the urgent need to address the key challenges facing the global weather and climate community due to extreme weather events, rising sea levels and worsening climate change. As the impacts of these challenges are being felt on all aspects of our everyday lives, it is important that we continue to improve our capabilities to observe the changing patterns of our weather, climate, and water systems to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come. Therefore, I believe that the theme of the World Meteorological Day this year is a wakeup call for all of us to take all possible measures now to build resilience in our communities and mitigate the impacts of extreme weather phenomena and climate change on future generations.

Journalist: Against the backdrop of frequent extreme weather events and global climate change, science and technology advances by leaps and bounds. Opportunities and challenges coexist. From your perspective, what’s the biggest challenge NMHSs are confronted with in the future? How does your institution tackle the challenge and are there any specific plans?

Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous: With the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and global climate change, NMHSs face a tremendous challenge in providing timely and accurate information to safeguard lives, livelihoods and properties. Meeting this challenge will require innovative solutions, increased regional and international collaboration, and sustained investment in the capacity of NMHSs to meet the rapidly evolving needs of our communities, especially those most vulnerable in the developing world. Furthermore, ensuring access to Early Warning Systems, which have consistently proven their effectiveness in improving the preparedness of communities to respond to potential disasters, is also a top priority for NMHSs to achieve the UN call on Early Warnings for All. At NCM of United Arab Emirates, we use advanced technology and sophisticated weather monitoring systems to continuously monitor weather patterns and predict extreme weather events, while providing timely and accurate weather information to the public, government agencies, and other stakeholders to enable them to take proactive measures to prepare for various weather events.

Journalist: 2023 is the 150th anniversary of International Meteorological Organization (IMO, the predecessor of WMO). We are both active players and contributors to WMO. What’s your anticipation and suggestions as for the future exchange and collaboration with China Meteorological Administration (CMA)?

Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous: NCM and CMA are like-minded organizations that can collaborate on a wide range of areas related to meteorology and climate science to enhance our capabilities and improve our services. Such collaboration can lead to better weather forecasting, improved understanding of climate change, and enhanced resilience to extreme weather events. As both our organizations focuson building our national and regional resilience to frequent extreme weather events and providing accurate weather information, we can strengthen our collaboration in sharing meteorological data on weather patterns and atmospheric conditions and exchanging best practices in data management, analysis, and forecasting. Another potential area for collaboration is joint research projects aimed at advancing climate science and improving weather forecasting models. This will help our respective organizations to further enhance our capabilities and improve our meteorological services. NCM and CMA can also collaborate on training and capacity building initiatives to improve the skills and knowledge of our human capital. This can involve exchanging meteorological experts, conducting joint training programs, and sharing knowledge on forecasting techniques and technologies.

Reporter/editor: Liu Shuqiao