Climate-smart

Climate-smart

The air is dry and dusty and the heat is overpowering. Droughts have become more frequent and severe in the last years.  If you’re a farmer: Should you wait for the rain? Switch to a different type of crop or sell precious cattle before they die? If you’re in the health authorities: Should you have health facilities prepare for respiratory and heat-related illnesses?

Developing climate services and increasing the number of professionals and students trained in meteorology and climatology is one step in creating climate-smart societies. In developing and emerging countries, climate data are often of poor quality and do not meet the prerequisites for the provision of climate services for decision-makers. WMO projects are restructuring science curricula to align with current and future needs in the these regions, and developing more effective communication channels so that decision-makers –farmers, health, water and other professionals, politicians – receive the climate services they need.

Agriculture is one of the most climate-sensitive areas. Droughts, slow onset climate events, have claimed millions of lives. Climate services and climate science form are important components of early warnings systems for famine. Agroclimatologists provide outlooks to farmers on six to eight months ahead and with shorter lead times as the seasons approach then start. Climate-smart farmers use such information to decide what seeds to plant, when best to plant, whether irrigation will be required, when best to harvest and to make other important decisions.

WMO helps its Members to monitor the Earth’s climate on a global scale so that reliable information is available to support evidence-based decision-making on how to best adapt to a changing climate and manage risks associated with climate variability and extremes. Climate information is essential for monitoring the success of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, as well as for promoting efforts to increase energy efficiency and to transition to a carbon-neutral economy.

Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems: A Checklist

Early warning is a major element of disaster risk reduction. It can prevent loss of life and reduce the economic and material impacts of hazardous events including disasters. To be effective, early warning systems need to actively involve the people and communities at risk from a range of hazards, facilitate public education and awareness of risks, disseminate messages and warnings efficiently and ensure that there is a constant state of preparedness and that early action is enabled.

Climate

Climate characterizes the average weather conditions for a particular location over a long period of time. WMO actively coordinates the study of the climate, its variations, extremes and change over the past, present and the future. In close collaboration with user agencies, WMO also supports the study of climate impacts on a variety of socio-economic sectors to support evidence-based decision-making on how to best to manage the risks of climate variability and adapt to a changing climate, to ensure human safety and well-being.

FAQs - Climate

Frequently asked questions relating to climate issues.

Fast Facts

Highest Temperature recorded was 56.7°C (134°F) on 10 July 1913 in Furnace Creek (Greenland Ranch), CA, United States.

Longest Dry Period recorded was 173 months from November 1903 to January 1918 in Arica, Chile.