Amid growing concern about climate change, Ban Ki-moon urges preventive action

Amid growing global concern about climate change, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged experts meeting in Geneva to address the need for warning systems to mitigate the damage from extreme weather.

“At no other time in history have there been so many expectations from the sciences of meteorology and hydrology,” Mr. Ban said in a message to the 15th World Meteorological Congress meeting in Geneva.

“I urge you to continue your efforts to promote enhanced applications of science and technology, including the use of climate and weather information, and to improve predictions and early warnings on impending weather and climate hazards,” he said.

Mr. Ban said the session, which “takes place at a time of unprecedented public awareness of the importance of weather, climate and water and their relation to sustainable development.” He praised the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for its work in promoting sustainable development and for its “important role in promoting scientific understanding of the global climate at a time when climate change is rising on the international agenda.”

The WMO is a UN specialized agency dealing with the state and behaviour of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, the climate it produces and the resulting distribution of water resources.