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GENERAL SUMMARY 25that regard, it appreciated the organization of theExpert Meeting on Strategies Towards CapacityBuilding in Public Weather Services (PWS) that hadbeen held in Costa Rica prior to the Associationsession. In addition, the Association appreciated thefollowing PWS training opportunities for the Region’smeteorologists: selected Members of theESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee had attended anRA IV Workshop on Hurricane Forecasting andWarning in Miami, United States, in 2000;meteorologists from the Panel on Tropical Cycloneshad attended similar workshops at the same venue in2001 and 2002; participants from the Region hadattended training seminars on interpretation of globaldata processing systems and improvement of PWS,for RA II/RA VI in Bahrain (14–26 September 2002)and for RA II/RA V in Brunei Darussalam (8–19 December 2003).7.1.3 The Association welcomed the preparationand distribution through the PWSP, since thetwelfth session of RA II, of several technicaldocuments, especially ones targeting developingcountries, to assist with the development andimprovement of national PWS efforts. The followingdocuments had already been prepared or were underpreparation:(a) Technical Framework for Data andProducts in Support of Public WeatherServices (PWS-1, WMO/TD-No. 1054);(b) Weather on the Internet and other NewTechnologies (PWS-2, WMO/TD-No. 1084);(c) Guidelines on the Improvement of NMSs–Media Relations and Ensuring the Use ofOfficial Consistent Information (PWS-3,WMO/TD-No. 1088);(d)Guidelines on Graphical Presentation ofPublic Weather Services Products (PWS-4,WMO/TD-No. 1080);(e) Guide on the Application of NewTechnology and Research to PublicWeather Services (PWS-6, WMO/TD -No. 1102);(f)(g)(h)(i)Supplementary Guidelines on PerformanceAssessment of Public Weather Services(PWS-7, WMO/TD-No. 1103);Guide on Improving Public Understandingof and Response to Warnings (PWS-8,WMO/TD-No. 1139);Guidelines on Cross-border Exchange ofWarnings (PWS-9, WMO/TD-No. 1179);Guidelines on Biometeorology and AirQuality Forecasts (PWS-10,WMO/TD-1184).7.1.4 The Association noted with satisfaction thatthe PWSP had established a rapport with theinternational media on matters of mutual interest, andthat efforts had been made to better prepare NMSs torespond to media demands for information, especiallyon meteorological-related disasters. It acknowledgedthe desirability and benefits of a strong NMS-mediarelationship for both partners as well as its significantimpact on public safety issues. NMSs were obligedto ensure that the desired message was conveyedeffectively and that the public and media received thelevel and quality of information they required. Inwelcoming information on the preparation ofguidelines on presentation skills and disseminationtechnologies, the Association recommended that allPWS training events incorporate topics and exercisesaimed at improving the media and presentation skillsof participants and as a result help improve NMScredibility and visibility.7.1.5 The Association was pleased to note thatthe two web-based WMO-sponsored pilot projectsthat had been developed and were managed byHong Kong, China, were highly popular andsuccessful. The fifty-sixth session of the ExecutiveCouncil had congratulated the Hong KongObservatory for its leadership of the projects that hadwon the Certificate of Merit – Best in E-Governmentand Services, in the Asia Pacific Information andCommunication Technology Awards 2003, held inBangkok, Thailand. The Association commendedHong Kong, China, for its efforts and willingness toassist other WMO Members in hosting otherlanguage versions. Twenty-eight Members from theRegion were participating in the WWIS web site thathad been established as a centralized source ofofficial weather information on the Internet for easyaccess providing forecasts for 250 cities in theRegion. The average number of page visitsamounted to some 40 000 per day. Its contentsincluded city climatological information (for1 050 cities from 153 WMO Members, including 252cities from 31 RA II Members), medium-termforecasts (supplied for 1 003 cities by 97 WMOMembers) and hyperlinks to contributing Members’national web sites. Already, there were Portuguese,Chinese and Arabic versions of WWIS operated byMacao, China; China and Oman, respectively, withplans for Russian and French versions. The SevereWeather Information Centre (SWIC) web siteprovided a centralized source for media access toofficial tropical cyclone warnings and informationissued by NMSs. The project, which had globalcoverage and 20 participating Members (including 10from the Region), was expected to expand to coverother severe weather types. The Association invitedCBS to consider the transition of the projects tooperational status.7.1.6 The Association acknowledged naturaldisaster mitigation and public response as a majorconcern of Members and appreciated the efforts ofWMO and the PWSP in that regard. In particular, itstrongly supported close collaboration between thePWSP and the new major cross-cutting WMO DPMProgramme to assist Members in the all-round effortto minimize the adverse effects of severe weatherevents. The Association believed that in addition todeveloping strategies for effective warning servicesand dissemination and presentation of warningproducts, other urgent parallel issues for
26 ABRIDGED FINAL REPORT OF THE THIRTEENTH SESSION OF RA IIconsideration were the use and understanding ofwarnings by the public and effective coordination andcommunication with emergency managers, and itcommended the provision to Members of the relevantPWS guidelines.7.1.7 The Association expressed appreciation forthe emphasis placed by the PWSP on the applicationof new technology and research, including workstationsystems, integration and packaging of weatherinformation, communication and disseminationmechanisms and Internet communications, and theirimpacts on service delivery. There were several newand exciting possibilities that could be applied toenhance PWS, including: the impact of the EPS onpublic weather forecasting, digital forecasting,provision of air quality forecasts and biometeorologyinformation, increasing opportunities of disseminatingnowcasting products through the Internet and otherwireless delivery channels and application of XML forseamless data exchange between computers. Inenumerating those opportunities, the Associationstrongly supported the call by Fourteenth Congressfor increased cooperation between developed anddeveloping countries to enable the latter to realize thebenefits of new technologies. In that connection,Oman reported that in order to keep its publicinformed of the latest weather and forecastinformation, it had introduced new SMS and WAPservices to relay hourly observations from its networkof stations using mobile devices.7.1.8 The Association acknowledged the need,and supported recommendations, for increasedbilateral and/or regional cooperation and agreementsto develop and expand arrangements for the crossborderexchange of warnings, forecasts andinformation. It welcomed the preparation of relevantguidelines to assist Members with the implementationof cross-border exchange of warnings and noted thatthey included advice on standardized formats andcontent of exchange messages as well as a list ofhazard types and threshold values currently in use. Inurging Members to actively pursue cross-borderwarning programmes, the Association asserted thatsuccessful exchange would rely on the developmentand maintenance of efficient and reliablecommunication systems, and staff with specializedtraining in severe weather forecasting, issuing ofwarnings and communication skills.7.1.9 The Association expressed appreciation forthe priority given by the PWSP to assist Members todevelop programmes on warnings and forecastverification and service evaluation and viewed userbasedservice assessment as required input for thedesign and development of new and appropriateproducts and services. Noting that NMS customershad been seeking higher assurances on the quality ofproducts and services, Members agreed that moreprecise standards and quality control should beapplied to enhance NMS operations, products andservices. Members recalled Resolution 27 (Cg-XIV)— Quality management, that had initiated stepstowards the development of a WMO QMF based onthe already existing comprehensive system of WMOprocedures and practices. In that regard, theAssociation welcomed the development of guidelineson quality management procedures and practices forPWS.7.1.10 The Association stressed that the provisionof high-quality PWS was a fundamental function ofNMSs and represented the most visible and tangiblebenefit that national communities could derive fromthe work of the NMSs. In expressing appreciation forthe continuing efforts of the WMO PWSP instrengthening the capacity of Members to effectivelydeliver the best quality public weather services, theAssociation recommended that future high priorityshould be given to the following areas:(a) Capacity-building and transfer of knowledgeand technology;(b) Application of new technology and researchin NMS systems and operations;(c) Verification and user-based serviceassessment;(d) Raising the level of public awareness,understanding and response to weatherwarnings as part of natural disastermitigation efforts;(e) Improving relationships and coordinationwith emergency management and themedia;(f) Promoting and enhancing cross-borderexchange of warnings;(g) Facilitating the international exchange ofpublic weather products and makingweather information available on theInternet;(h) Promoting awareness of the impact ofhigh-quality, well-delivered public weatherservices on the image and visibility ofNMS.Pilot Project on the Provision of City-SpecificNumerical Weather Prediction Products toDeveloping Countries via the Internet7.1.11 The Association was pleased to note thedocument submitted by Hong Kong, China, entitledthe Pilot Project on the Provision of City-SpecificNumerical Weather Prediction Products toDeveloping Countries via the Internet.7.1.12 The Association acknowledged howimportant it was for NMHSs in developing countriesto benefit directly from the progress in NWP.Meanwhile, the Association was pleased to note thatwith the maturity of Internet technology, Internetgraphic capability was now available to the NMHSsof most developing countries, even LDCs.7.1.13 The Association noted that NWP centreswould also benefit from the experience gained in thewider use of model products in different parts of theRegion, especially in areas with complextopography, such as the Himalayas, and fromevaluating their NWP products.
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APPENDIX ALIST OF PERSONS ATTENDING
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