Weather, climate and the air we breathe - WMO

safety, the financial crisis, the global
energy challenge and the customary
briefing on political, economic and
social issues. Regarding climate
change, CEB reviewed progress in
the development of the common
United Nations system approach,
in which WMO, jointly with UNESCO,
plays a key convening role in
coordinating efforts to enhance
climate knowledge, including climate
system and impacts monitoring,
assessment, predictions and early
warnings on climate extremes.
Climate knowledge supports five
main focus areas: adaptation,
mitigation, REDD (Reducing
Emissions from Deforestation and
Forest Degradation), technology
transfer , capacity building and
financing.
CEB reviewed the draft report
prepared by conveners of all areas
through the High Level Committee
on Programmes. The resulting paper
entitled “Acting on climate change: the
UN delivering as one” was adopted
for submission to Member States at
the UN Climate Change Conference
in Poznan in December 2008, as work
continued toward the development of
a common framework for presentation
at the meeting of the Conference of
Parties (COP) to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen
in 2009.
CEB members expressed their
continuing commitment to collective
efforts on climate change.
China
The President of WMO and the
Secretary-General visited China from
27 to 29 October 2008, to present the
53rd International Meteorological
Organization (IMO) Prize to Mr Qin
Dahe and the 2008 WMO Research
Award for Young Scientists to
Ms Sun Ying.
During their visit, they met with
HE Mr Hui Liangyu, Vice-Premier
of the State Council of China, for
2 | WMO Bulletin 58 (1) - January 2009
Beijing, China, 28 October 2008 — Award of 53rd IMO Prize to Qin Dahe: Chinese Vice
Premier, Hui Liangyu (centre) with, to his right, WMO President, Alexander Bedritsky;
to his left, WMO Secretary-General, Michel Jarraud and Zheng Guoguang, Permanent
Representative of China with WMO; far right, Qin Dahe; and, far left, Elena Manaenkova,
Director, WMO Department of Cabinet and External Relations
an exchange of views on issues
of common interest, in particular
climate change and the role of the
China Meteorological Administration
(CMA), the enhancement of global
cooperation and collaboration
between China and WMO.
Messrs Bedritsky and Jarraud
visited CMA and were briefed by the
Permanent Representative of China
with WMO, Zheng Guoguang, on the
achievements and the progress made
in various areas, including satellite
meteorology, disaster risk reduction
and the key contributions of CMA
to the recent hosting by China of
the 29th Summer Olympics and the
Paralympics Games.
United Arab Emirates
Following a special invitation of the
World Economic Forum, the Secretary-
General visited Dubai between 7 and
9 November 2008, to participate in the
Summit on the Global Agenda.
Mr Jarraud took part in a number of
discussions in which he highlighted
the role of WMO in natural hazard
risk reduction and climate change, as
well as WMO’s activities in support of
its Members in the areas of climate
change adaptation and natural disaster
prevention and mitigation.
Egypt
On 9 November 2008, the Secretary-
General travelled to Alexandria to
participate in the Ninth International
Conference on Dryland Development:
Sustainable Development in the
Drylands—Meeting the Challenge of
Global Climate Change. The session
was organized by the International
Dryland Development Commission.
The Secretary-General gave a
presentation entitled “Climate
change and drylands: Impacts on
natural resources and the role of
WMO”, focusing on the key issue
of ensuring long-term agricultural
productivity while conserving land,
water and biodiversity. Mr Jarraud
underscored that sustainable
development of regions affected by
drought and desertification can only
come about through concerted efforts
based on a sound understanding of
the different factors contributing to
land degradation.