MINSK, 22 March (BelTA) – The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Office for Eurasia will open in Minsk, Maria Germenchuk, Head of the National Center for Hydrometeorology, Radioactive Pollution Control, and Environmental Monitoring (Gidromet) of the Belarusian Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry, told reporters on 22 March, BelTA has learned.
“The World Meteorological Congress has decided to set up the WMO Office for Eurasia in Minsk. The office will open after the next WMO Congress that will take place in 2018,” Maria Germenchuk said.
She emphasized that the establishment of the office is a rare event in the WMO system. “There is such an office for Asia based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Plans are under consideration to set up such an office in Latin America. This is a new format of work associated with the reorganization of the World Meteorological Organization and modernization of its management,” Maria Germenchuk noted.
The WMO office in Minsk will coordinate the ties between Eastern Europe and Asia. It will work to implement new hydrometeorology and environmental monitoring technologies and facilitate the exchange of information about storms and inclement weather. “We will be a hydrometeorological link connecting the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Mongolia and Israel also show their interest. We facilitate technology transfer and provide climate services. Participation in this process is beneficial for us, as it will help us improve the expertise of our specialists. Besides, all new technologies will pass through our hands, so we will be able to see which of them are useful for us,” Maria Germenchuk stressed.
In April 2017, Belarus will host a large-scale international conference on the use of satellite information in meteorology. “We will welcome representatives of almost all the countries of Europe, guests from Asia, WMO specialists, and Belarusian consumers of satellite data. The fact that the conference will be held in Belarus attests to the recognition of the remarkable role and contribution of Gidromet to international cooperation, the wide use of satellite imagery in Belarus, and the support for the decision to open the WMO Office for Eurasia in Minsk,” the official said.
