Overview of Commission for Agricultural Meteorology (CAgM)

Commission for Agricultural Meteorology (CAgM)

Priorities of CAgM (2014-2018)	CAgM Terms of Reference	History
Sessions	General Regulations

Priorities of CAgM (2014-2018)- Resolution 2 (CAgM-16)(WMO No. 1134)

(1) Improving service quality and service delivery by:

(a) Developing enhanced services for the agricultural, livestock, forestry, rangelands and fisheries communities including agricultural meteorological consultancy;

(b) Engaging with the Agriculture and Food Security exemplar of the Global Framework for Climate Services;

(c) Encouraging development of a knowledge-sharing interface between
forecasters/scientists, extension services and the agricultural decision-makers;

(d) Identifying agrometeorological information needs of the vulnerable communities to facilitate development of more useful and appropriate agrometeorological information products related to services for the group;

(2) Advancing scientific research and its application, as well as the development and
implementation of technology to support sustained services outcomes on all scales and
especially to address the challenges of managing climate risks and adapting to climate
variability and change through:

(a) Developing technological applications to communicate information to agricultural decision-makers;

(b) Identifying innovative risk management systems in global food production;

(c) Reviewing standards for measuring agricultural meteorological parameters;

(3) Strengthening capacity development through agricultural meteorological training at the
regional, national and local levels;

(4) Building and enhancing partnerships and cooperation through working in collaboration with
other WMO technical commissions and Members, United Nations agencies including the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Food Programme, the
International Fund for Agricultural Development and other relevant organizations, to create
synergies and to support improved agricultural production and economic development;

Terms of reference of the CAgM -Resolution 43 (Cg-16)(WMO No. 1077)

As revised during the 15th Session of CAgM in Resolution 2 and approved by 16th Session of the WMO Congress in Annex 2 of Resolution 43, he terms of reference of the Commission for Agricultural Meteorology shall be:

(a) Support applications of meteorology to the management of agriculture, livestock, forestry,
rangelands and fisheries sectors (herein after referred to as agricultural subsectors), taking
into account developments in both the scientific and operational fields;

(b) Assist the Member countries in developing and establishing their agrometeorological
services (and, where necessary, encourage and assist National Meteorological and
Hydrological Services in realigning/restructuring their services to provide effective
agrometeorological services) through transfer of knowledge, methodologies and
techniques, and by providing advice, particularly on:

(i) The most operational use of knowledge concerning weather and climate for
sustainable agricultural management through conservation and better use of natural resources;

(ii) The use of weather and agrometeorological observations, forecasts and warnings for operational purposes;

(iii) The use of climate observations and predictions;

(iv) Adaptation to climate variability and change, in particular in developing countries;

(v) Combating unfavourable influences of weather and climate on agricultural
subsectors, including weather-related pests and diseases;

(vi) The protection of agricultural produce in storage or in transit against damage or deterioration due to direct and indirect influences of weather and climate;

(vii) Effective means of communication and fostering coordination and collaboration
activities between weather and climate service providers and users in subsectors;

(c) Improve coordination and collaboration mechanisms through which users of weather and
climate information in agricultural subsectors can liaise actively with weather and climate
service providers and vice versa;

(d) Formulate data and information requirements for agricultural purposes;

(e) Foster the development and use of effective communication methods and channels for
acquiring and disseminating agrometeorological information, advice and warnings to
agricultural subsectors and obtaining feedback;

(f) Promote a better understanding of the interactions and impacts of weather and climate in
regards to drought and desertification.

General Regulations for Technical Commissions

As defined in the General Regulations (Annex III - Structure and terms of reference of technical commissions) of the Basic Documents No. 1 (2012 edition-WMO No. 15), each technical commission shall:

1. Study and review advances in science and technology, keep Members informed and advise Congress, the Executive Council and other constituent bodies on these advances and their implications;

2. Develop, for consideration by the Executive Council and Congress, proposed international standards for methods, procedures, techniques and practices in meteorology and operational hydrology including, in particular, the relevant parts of the Technical Regulations, guides and manuals;

3. Under the general guidance of Congress and the Executive Council, carry out functions – with other bodies as necessary – relating to the planning, implementation and evaluation of the scientific and technical programme activities of the Organization;

4. Provide a forum for the examination and resolution of relevant scientific and technical issues;

5. Promote training by assisting in the organization of seminars and workshops and in the preparation of related material and the development of other suitable mechanisms for the transfer of knowledge and methodology, including the results of research, between Members;

6. Promote international cooperation and maintain, through appropriate channels, close cooperation on scientific and technical matters with other relevant international organizations;

7. Structure its work to address societal outcomes, in line with existing management processes by creating and maintaining an operating plan focusing on the areas identified within its specific terms of reference and addressing the WMO Strategic Plan;

8. Make such recommendations as it may consider necessary.

History

The importance of meteorology to agriculture, internationally, was probably recognized at least as early as 1735 when the Directors of European meteorological services first met to discuss meteorology on an international scale. The first reference to co-operation between meteorology and agriculture was in correspondence between the International Meteorological Organization (IMO) and certain national institutes of agriculture and forestry, seeking an exchange of meteorological Information and data.

A formal Commission for Agricultural Meteorology (CAgM) of IMO was appointed in 1913 but a meeting was delayed by the First World War. The Commission was re-constituted in 1919 and held its first meeting at Utrecht, The Netherlands, in 1923. Subsequently it held six additional meetings; the seventh and last being at Toronto in Canada 1947. Policies and programmes of this last meeting of the IMO/CAgM became the foundation of the new CAgM under WMO.

IMO underwent re-organization after 1947 and, in 1951, became the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations. There are eight Technical Commissions in WMO of which the Commission for Agricultural Meteorology is one, Click here for an history and overview of the CAgM.