Partnering with WMO
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) encourages worldwide collaboration on meteorology, climatology, hydrology and related subjects, seeking to enhance weather forecasting, climate monitoring and early warning systems to reduce the effect of natural disasters and to assist sustainable development.
Together, FAO and WMO address the complex concerns of food security, agriculture and climate change, helping to increase countries' capacity for sustainable agricultural development, reduce disaster risks and support adaptation to climate change.
An important component of the collaboration is the Early Warnings For All initiative, spearheaded by WMO and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, with FAO playing a key role in action plans on risk knowledge (pillar 1) and preparedness to respond (pillar 4), and their implementation in countries, and WMO leading Pillar 2 on detection, observations, monitoring, analysis and forecasting of climate hazards.
FAO is a partner on the Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) that is co-led by WMO and the Global Water Partnership, and supports governments and other stakeholders at all levels in implementing Integrated Drought Management by providing scientific, policy, technical and management guidance. FAO has collaborated with WMO on various national and regional drought activities across Africa, Eastern Europe, and South America.
Global Frameworks:
In May 2024, FAO and WMO signed a 10-year (2024-2033) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide a framework for strategic collaboration between the parties in the areas of mutual interest in relation to weather, ocean, climate, water, the environment and nature.
The agreement strengthens the partnership especially in situations of fragility or food crises, with a focus on five priority areas:
- Agro-meteorological services for climate resilience
- Partnerships and policy dialogue for climate information and services across and within systems as part of integrated climate actions
- Inter-agency initiatives for disaster risk reduction and climate risk management
- Data, tools and methodologies to support weather, climate, hydrological, marine and environmental services
- Resource mobilization and knowledge transfer for climate-resilient development
Memberships
FAO and WMO are both Members of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), a high-level forum for joint policy formation and decision-making, which guides, supports, tracks and oversees the coordination of development operations in countries and territories across the world.
FAO is also a member of the WMO Standing Committee on Services for Agriculture (SC-AGR) and provides key input to WMO activities related to agriculture. As part of the SC-AGR, FAO and WMO are also collaborating on the WMO-FAO-UNESCO Task Team on Indigenous and Local Knowledge (TT-ILK) that aims to document best practices and support resource mobilization for enhancing the use of indigenous and local agroclimatic knowledge.
Useful Links and Resources
Contacts
Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division (PSU)
[email protected]
Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB)
[email protected]
