New Seasonal Hydrological Outlooks for Central America Launched on the WMO HydroSOS Portal
On 1 August, the Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá (IMHPA) became the first Central American Hydrological Outlook Forum (CAHOF) member to feed official seasonal hydrological status and outlooks into the WMO HydroSOS Global Portal. Soon after, Guatemala’s INSIVUMEH and the National Hydrological Service of Belize followed, with additional contributions from other WMO Members expected in the coming months.
These publications make hydrological information globally accessible, providing decision-makers with actionable insights for key sectors:
- Agriculture – guiding farmers in planning planting and irrigation
- Hydropower – optimizing dam operations for energy production and water release
- Water supply – helping secure safe drinking water for communities
- Disaster preparedness – improving readiness for floods and droughts.
CAHOF’s journey reflects the Region’s commitment to cooperation and innovation. Reestablished in 2015 by the Regional Committee for Water Resources (CRRH-SICA) with WMO support, CAHOF developed methodologies to integrate seasonal climate predictions from the Central American Climate Outlook Forum (CACOF) into hydrological models, producing basin-scale status and outlooks.
A key foundation for this achievement was the WMO-CRRH Hydrological Capacity Development Initiative, carried out from September to December 2023. This programme trained hydrologists across Central America, strengthening institutions throughout the hydrology value chain – from observations to the refinement of prediction models. Six organizations, including WMO Regional Training Centres, universities, expert networks, NMHSs, and international centres, mobilized 11 expert trainers. Together, they reached 320 professionals and technicians from National Hydrological Services through 22 in-country training sessions. Four hybrid regional workshops brought 158 participants together to exchange technical experiences, lessons learned and good practices. A Moodle virtual classroom supported the delivery of four training modules.
This initiative laid the groundwork for CAHOF’s enhanced technical capacity, contributing to the reliable seasonal outlooks now shared globally through the HydroSOS Portal. It demonstrated how efficient and effective use of resources can deliver direct benefits to WMO and CRRH Members. The launch on the Portal is a milestone for Central America as it strengthens regional resilience, showcases the power of collaboration and contributes to worldwide efforts to better understand and manage water resources.
Looking ahead, CAHOF Members aim to expand its reach by incorporating stations in additional river basins, upgrading monitoring networks and refining performance evaluations. Tailored insights for sectors such as agriculture and energy would further support local and regional decision-making.
By sharing Central America’s seasonal hydrological products with the world, CAHOF and its partners are helping build a more water-secure and climate-resilient future. CRRH’s support was paramount to the achievement, which was made possible with the support of WMO and the United Kingdom’s (UK) Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH).