World Meteorological Organization

Under the authority of the management group of the Commission, the Advisory Group on Hydrology (AG-Hydro) will provide oversight, coordination and monitoring of the infrastructure aspect of the WMO Plan of Action for Hydrology.

Specifically, AG-Hydro will focus on the integration of hydrological monitoring into the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS) and the WMO Information System (WIS), and the utilization of hydrological data and products to the WMO Integrated Processing and Prediction System (WIPPS) towards a fully coupled hydrology in Earth System models. AG-Hydro will function under the general terms of reference of advisory groups and:

(a) Act as the entry point for hydrological observation, infrastructure, and information systems, including advocacy for Earth System approach benefits and increased expert participation;
(b) Advise the management group on hydrological monitoring related matters by translating the needs from and for the hydrological community, gathered through the Hydrological Coordination Panel (HCP), into suggested activities of INFCOM bodies;
(c) Oversee, coordinate and monitor the implementation of the infrastructure aspect of the Plan of Action, in coordination with HCP;
(d) Advise the management group and standing committees on the optimal working structure and engagement of domain experts to address INFCOM-related deliverables required by the Plan of Action, promoting the integration of observing systems, data exchange and management and prediction functions into WIGOS, WIS and WIPPS, while ensuring the necessary coordination within domain experts;
(e) Advise the management group and assist the vice-president representing the domain on engagement, through HCP, with the regional associations, the Services Commission, and relevant external partners to share information on requirements, workplans, and deliveries to preserve the value cycle in specific infrastructure components of the hydrological domain;
(f) Advise on needs and priorities for INFCOM-related capacity development for hydrology, including on training, the Panel on Capacity Development of the Executive Council, through the Coordinator on Capacity Development.