COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES

1. COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES IMPLEMENTING REGIONAL COOPERATION UNDER THE WMO PROGRAMMES (7th meeting of the RA VI Management Group , WMO, Geneva, 5-6 February 2013)

2. COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES Cooperation of CIS countries helps address meteorological and hydrological issues at the regional level, but, most importantly, it should not impact substantially on the national infrastructure and capabilities. An agreement signed by the Council of the Heads of Governments of CIS on 8 February 1992 aims to: • Promote the establishment of new national meteorological and hydrological services (NMHSs); • Develop and implement new mutually beneficial and harmonized principles of interactions between NMHSs. Following the agreement the Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology (ICH) was set up.

3. COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES The agreement was seen as a tool to maintain regular reception of reliable hydrometeorological information, increase economic efficiency, ensure the public safety and defense capacity of the CIS countries. The ICH implemented measures to enhance the current information exchange system, as well as to develop principles and regulations on voluntary information exchange.

4. COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES 2011 - 20th anniversary of CIS The Commonwealth of Independent States re-affirmed its viability and essentiality. The Declaration adopted on 20 December 2011 stipulates that the heads of the CIS countries resolved to promote closer cooperation in the uniform format and agreed to foster increased efficiency of CIS, guide for better understanding and interactions between the CIS countries, improved public well-being and sustainable living for the nations. 2012 - 20th anniversary of theCIS Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology

5. CIS Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology ICH sessions • Held in different CIS countries by rotation; • Review progress reports; • Review the Council’s action plans to approve for the next intersessional period; • Make decisions to: (1) Take into account the needs of NMHSs; (2) Lay the basis for successful implementation of such decisions.

6. CIS Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology ICH sessions Totally, • 24 sessions held; • ~ 25-30 issues addressed per session; • Areas of concern: the ground observing network; observational data processing and generation of products; establishment of data banks, creation of automated workplaces; information exchange; telecommunications, research and methodological work, institutional changes, etc.

7. CIS Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology Composed of 17 working groups, focusing commitment on: • Meteorological telecommunications, satellite information, processing and exchange of hydrometeorological information; • Research coordination; global and regional climate challenges; • Meteorological services for civil aviation; • Instruments and methods of measurements; • Hydrometeorological services and forecasts; • Environmental monitoring; • Staff training; • Hydrometeorological modification; • Support for the ground observing network.

8. CIS Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology ICH Initiated a number of interstate agreements on: • Delivery of products for the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services of the CIS countries; • Interstate Hydrometeorological Network of the Commonwealth of Independent States;(By signing this agreement, the governments received a clear mandate to maintain and enhance the hydrometeorological observing network in their countries.) • Cooperation in the field of weather and geophysical modification; • Cooperation in the field of staff training, advanced training and retraining in meteorology and hydrology.

9. CIS Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology ICH Designed a modeling law on hydrometeorological activities, enabling to establish national hydrometeorological legislation. Promoted the conclusion of the agreements on cooperation with the following counterparts: • The Interstate Aviation Committee: • The Interstate Council for Natural and Man-Made Emergency Situations; • The Interstate Ecological Council; • The World Meteorological Organization.

10. STRATEGIC THRUSTS Towards better exchange of aeronautical meteorological information • Aeronautical meteorological databank (AMDB) of Roshydromet, comprising ~ 3000 aerodromes in Russia and abroad, established and been effective since October 2003; • An action plan for the NMHSs of CIS Members to promote the implementation of the WMO Aeronautical Meteorology Programme (AeMP) elaborated.

11. STRATEGIC THRUSTS Towards better exchange of meteorological information • A list of stations and posts of the CIS Interstate Hydrometeorological Network approved; • Hydrometeorological information exchanged on a generic basis through the CIS Interstate Hydrometeorological Network, comprising: (1) 835 meteorological stations; (2) 65 upper-air stations; (3) 112 hydrological posts near the transboundary rivers.

12. STRATEGIC THRUSTS Towards hydrometeorological safety for the CIS Members • Observational data on hydrometeorological conditions and environmental pollution generated in line with the uniform prototype models to receive full information, share and/or make intercomparisons of products; • Uniform requirements for hydrometeorological instruments, enabling their usage in all CIS countries maintained by the following regulatory documents, namely: (a) Technical specifications for the generation of new hydrometeorological instruments and equipment for the observing network; (b) A list of methodologies and equipment for the government check-out of measuring instruments for hydrometeorological parameters.

13. Information exchange Information exchange is supported by the Regulations on interactions between the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services(NMHSs) in the CIS countries. The WMO Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) Moscow provides the CIS and non-CIS Members with the required forecasting information. The ICH coordinates meteorological telecommunications, satellite information and processing of hydrometeorological data through: • The IGDDS regional project; • Transition to the table-driven code forms; • Operational interactions between telecommunications units; • Coordinated integration into the WMO Information System; • Data processing and management systems, e.g. CLIWARE, PERSONA, etc.

14. Enhanced hydrometeorological forecasts in the CIS Members The World Meteorological Centre Moscow re-equipped and the super-computer established in Roshydromet, allowing mesoscale modeling for regional short-term weather forecasts. Current capabilities are as follows: • Hydrometcentre of Russia issues on a regular basis COSMO model forecasts for 78 hours with the special resolution of 7 km and a design region, covering CIS countries. • The North-Eurasian Regional Climate Centre (NERCC) facilitates climate information for NMHSs, including long-term meteorological forecasts. • The All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Meteorology of Roshydromet established a Drought Monitoring Centre of the CIS Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology. In 2012 the Council prepared its first “Consolidated annual report on climate status and change in the CIS countries for 2011”.

15. Advanced training and retraining for the staff of CIS NMHSs To improve flexibility for recruitment among graduates in meteorology and hydrology to NMHSs of CIS, training requirements were unified. Measures taken to: • Establish an order of individual, advanced and on-the-job training; • Adapt to evolving training needs; • Shape a coherent educational system based on innovative low-cost solutions. The ICH facilitated three conferences to focus on the outcomes of joint research in meteorology, hydrology and environmental monitoring and a workshop on advanced forecasting technologies. Reference materials developed and issued by ICH: • Explanatory dictionary on agricultural meteorology; • Guide on glacial observations; • Manual on agrometeorological observations; • Guide on snow and avalanche activities.

16. COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES Cooperation in weather modification An agreement on cooperation in the field of meteorological and geophysical modification signed between the CIS countries. It will enable to establish a Protocol to the WMO Convention on the Matters Specific to Weather Modification. Environmental monitoring in the CIS countries Roshydromet and the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) issue an annual “Review of the background status of the environmentin the CIS countries”, containing data derived from long measurements of the amount of atmospheric pollutants and scavenging, as well as of pollutants in soil, vegetation and surface water in the background areas.

17. COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES Hydrometeorological Safety The Concept of Hydrometeorological Safety for the CIS countries aims to formulate an official vision of the role and significance of introducing hydrometeorological safety as part and parcel of the national safety in each of the CIS countries. Hydrometeorological safety - “personal, public and state protection against the impacts of meteorological, hydrological and/or geliophysical hazards, global change in weather and climate conditions”. The Concept allows to: • Minimize the negative impact of meteorological, hydrological and/or geliophysical hazards on the safety of life and property; • Safeguard the environment; • Benefiting from weather, climate and water services.

18. COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES Succession planning On 30 May 2012, the “Strategy for the development of meteorological and hydrological services in the CIS Members up to 2020”approved. The Strategy is effective in ensuring: • Increase in lead-time and accuracy of storm warnings for meteorological and hydrological hazards (ER 2; KOs 2.1, 2.2, 2.3) (ER 5; KOs 5.1, 5.2) ; • Increase in accuracy of weather forecasts and climate predictions, irrespective of lead-time (ER 3; KOs 3.2, 3.4); • Improved observing network, development and implementation of new instruments (ER 4; KOs 4.1,4.3) ; • Environmental data collection, processing, distribution, analysis for further storage and archiving (ER 4; KO 4.2) ; • Generation and delivery of information and products to users (ER 1; KOs 1.1,1.2) ; • Provision of reliable information on actual and expected environmental conditions, as well as environmental pollution to all user groups (ER 5; KOs 5.1,5.2) ; • Improved level of effective response to meteorological and related geophysical processes (ER 5; KOs 5.1,5.2) ; • Increased visibility of NMHSs in CIS and recognition by user groups of the contribution that NMHSs are making to secure and sustainable well-being (ER 7; KOs 7.1,7.2)

19. COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES Conclusions Over the period concerned • All CIS Members have become WMO Member countries. • The ICH has initiated to conclude the Working Arrangements with WMO, facilitating the WMO representatives to attend all ICH sessions, to carry out WMO sponsored projects, and to train heads of new services under WMO Programmes. • WMO Bulletins distributed to all NMHSs of CIS to provide information on ICH activities. The ICH has enhanced its role and profile in the CIS community, undertaking important initiatives in operational meteorology and hydrology. An integrated approach implemented through the Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology could be encouraged in other WMO Regions. Over the years, the regional cooperation between the CIS Members has proved to be efficient to make its valuable input to the implementation of WMO scientific and technical programmes.

20. THANK YOU!