National meteorological and hydrological services and disaster risk and emergency management services are holding a Joint session before the Regional Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction for the Americas and Caribbean. This unprecedent meeting aims to strengthen collaboration in pursuit of the Early Warnings for All initiative.
Since 2019 large parts of Argentina and neighboring countries have been reeling under drought conditions with the last four months of 2022 receiving less than half of the average precipitation: the lowest rainfall in 35 years.
Combined with high temperatures, this has led to widespread crop failures. Argentina is one of the world’s top wheat exporters but agricultural exports for 2023 are projected to further drop 28% compared to 2022 levels. Uruguay declared an agricultural emergency in October 2022, with 60% of the country’s territory experiencing “extreme” or “severe” drought.
A new project to build regional capacity and resilience to climate variability and change in the Andes has been approved. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is providing CHF 5.8 million in funding for ENANDES+, which will scale up the ENANDES project, currently being implemented by WMO through the Adaptation Fund.
A virtual session of WMO Regional Association III took place from November 25-27, with the participation of 127 people. Yolanda Gonzalez Hernandez, Permanent Representative of Colombia, and Raul Rodas Franco, Permanent Representative of Paraguay, were elected respectively president and vice president of RA-III. A special side event was held on the ocean.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) joins the global community in marking World Oceans Day on 8 June, with the theme: Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean. This is more necessary than ever before, as human activities place unprecedented stress on the ocean, which covers more than 70% of the Earth surface, regulates the global climate and provides food and livelihoods for billions of people.
