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INTERNATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL ACTIVITIES

WMO Contribution

Multilateral Activities

Meeting Australia's international obligations

Bilateral Activities

OBJECTIVE

To meet Australia's international obligations, advance Australia's interests and support the operations and services of the Bureau through participation in international meteorology.

OUTPUT

Effective Australian participation in the various constituent bodies, programs and activities of the World Meteorological Organization including the provision of data, products and services to overseas National Meteorological Services and overseas user communities; along with participation in the international meteorological and related programs of other international organisations; and bilateral cooperation with other advanced countries and bilateral cooperation with, and assistance to, developing country National Meteorological Services in the South West Pacific.

OUTCOME

International cooperation and goodwill including the benefits of global meteorological cooperation under the Convention of the World Meteorological Organization and related international meteorological treaties and agreements.

Meteorology is one of the most inherently international of all fields of science and human endeavour and international cooperation plays a vital role in the operation of the Bureau, enabling it to draw on, and benefit from, scientific, technological and operational developments and expertise in other countries while contributing, within its own capability, to the effectiveness of the total international effort from which all countries benefit. This helps to ensure that the Australian community receives the best services possible within the limitations of available resources and the international state of the art in meteorological science and technology.

International Meteorological Activities encompass Australia's involvement in the programs and activities of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and in a range of other multilateral and bilateral activities with neighbouring countries in the South-West Pacific and South-East Asia. Australia is particularly active in the WMO through the operation of one of the three World Meteorological Centres (WMCs) of the WMO World Weather Watch (WWW). Bilateral arrangements exist with China, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in particular.

A fundamental principle embodied in the Convention and traditions of the WMO is that of voluntary contribution to the total international system and the free exchange of essential data and products between National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of all countries. Australia benefits greatly under this system, particularly through free access to the meteorological satellite data of Japan, USA, China, the Russian Federation and Europe.

The Bureau's International Meteorological Activities are administered by the International and Public Affairs Section of the Executive and International Affairs Branch in the Bureau's Head Office. Most Branches of the Bureau are involved in activities that have an international impact. The International and Public Affairs Section provides the focal point for the coordination of these activities and support to the Director of Meteorology's roles as the Permanent Representative of Australia with WMO and, currently, as President of WMO.

Resource Use

The resources committed to International Meteorological Activities in 2000-01 are summarised in Table 3 and are given in more detail in Table 14.

Table 14. International Meteorological Activities expenses and revenue ($'000) and staff level for 2000-01 compared with actuals for 1999-2000 and the 2000-01 Budget and Budget plus Additional Estimates appropriations.

	ACTUAL EXPENSES 1999-2000	BUDGET 2000-01	BUDGET & ADD. EST. 2000-01	ACTUAL EXPENSES & REVENUE 2000-01
	($'000)	($'000)	($'000)	($'000)
FINANCIAL
EXPENSES
Employee Expenses (Appropriation)	749	734	732	727
Employee Expenses (Section 31)	5	6	6	3
Supply of Goods and Services (Appropriation)	634	465	600	1,006
Supply of Goods and Services (Section 31)	11	16	21	31
Operating Leases Rentals	77	79	79	106
Depreciation	53	59	59	71
Other Goods and Services Expenses	0	0	0	0
(WMO Contribution)	901	996	996	1,115
Capital Use Charge	-3	0	-1	0*
TOTAL PRICE OF OUTPUT	2,427	2,355	2,492	3,059
REVENUE
Appropriation	2,464	2,333	2,464	2,464
Sale of Goods and Services	21	22	27	27
Miscellaneous - other	1	0	1	1
TOTAL REVENUE	2,486	2,355	2,492	2,492
STAFFING
Staff Years (actual)
- Funded from Employee Expenses (Appropriation)	8.5	7.3	7.3	6.8
- Funded from Supplier Expenses (Appropriation)	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.2
- Funded from Section 31 Receipts	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1
- Funded from Capitalised Salaries (Asset Replacement)	0.0	0.2	0.2	0.2
TOTAL STAFFING	8.6	7.6	7.6	7.3

* In 2000-01, Capital Use Charge was not accounted as an expense.

Performance

Performance during 2000-01 was assessed at two levels in terms of the:

· quality, quantity and price of the outputs directed to the achievement of the planned outcome relative to the agreed target levels; and

· contribution of the outputs to the achievement of the planned outcome.

The measures used as a basis for performance assessment were as published in the Portfolio Budget Statements 2000-01 for the Environment and Heritage Portfolio (Budget Related Paper No. 1.7). The performance for 2000-01 against each of the performance measures and targets for quality, quantity and price of outputs is summarised in Appendix 11.

The major strategies used to enhance the Bureau's international meteorological activities and contribute to the achievement of the planned outcome during 2000-01 involved:

· contribution to international policy level decision-making and scientific and technical planning of the WMO;

· establishment of close, mutually beneficial, cooperation with other relevant international bodies and the NMHSs of other countries; and

· collaboration with the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and other international aid agencies in assisting countries in South-East Asia and the South-West Pacific.

A minor evaluation of the International Activities Program completed in 2001 made 13 recommendations designed to strengthen its effectiveness, as one of the Bureau's four output groups, in serving the Bureau's objectives. Implementation of several recommendations has commenced, subject to the availability of resources.

In 2000-01, there were 203 overseas missions (excluding those undertaken in relation to the commercial activities of the Special Services Unit), involving a total Bureau expenditure of $0.492m.

The contribution to achievement of the planned outcome during 2000-01, assessed in terms of the indicators listed in Appendix 12, is reviewed below for each of the individual outputs (WMO Contribution, Multilateral Activities and Bilateral Activities), drawing on the performance information summarised in Appendix 11.

WMO Contribution

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The WMO is a specialised agency of the United Nations and facilitates the coordination, standardisation and improvement of world meteorological and related activities. In recognition of the value of international cooperation in meteorology and in support of the overall operation of WMO, Australia provides an annual assessed contribution to the Regular Budget of the WMO. Australia's contribution for 2000-01 was $1.115m.

The Australian contribution, which is based on an intergovernmentally-agreed allocation of responsibilities for funding the activities of WMO and is closely linked to Gross National Product (GNP), represents 1.60 per cent of the total Regular Budget of the WMO. While most of the operational activities of WMO continue to be carried out at the national level by its Members, the Regular Budget is used to fund the work of the various constituent bodies of WMO, including coordination through the technical commissions of the WMO scientific and technical programmes and the coordination activities of the regional associations.

The achievements of the various WMO scientific and technical programmes during 2000-01 are comprehensively recorded in the WMO Annual Report for the calendar year 2000 and in update reports of the President and Secretary-General to the 53rd session of the WMO Executive Council held in June. Overall, the WMO continued in its fifty-first year (2000) to ensure very effective international cooperation and coordination across a wide range of activities, especially the World Weather Watch (WWW) and the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS).

Australia continued to gain greatly through participation in WMO programs. When compared with the relatively small national contribution to WMO, the benefits received through membership represent considerable value to Australia. In terms of observations, for example, while Australia provides data acquired within its own territory to other countries for their use, it receives, from around the world, much greater quantities of data and information, without which it could not provide many of its national services to acceptable standards.

In particular, the Bureau maintained access to satellite data from meteorological satellites operated by USA, Japan, China, the Russian Federation and Europe as part of the WMO WWW. As a contribution to the stability of the international arrangements for the distribution of meteorological satellite data, the Bureau continued to operate two Turn Around Ranging Stations in Victoria to assist in the navigation of the Japanese GMS-5 and the Chinese FengYun-2 satellites.

Multilateral Activities

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Contribution to international policy-level decision-making

The Bureau continued its close involvement with a number of multilateral international programs and organisations, especially the WMO and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO during 2000-01.

Australia maintained its active involvement and influence in WMO programs, including through participation in a number of important international meetings. During the year, the Bureau contributed significantly to policy-level decision-making and scientific and technical planning within WMO through:

· the Director's Presidency of WMO and chairmanship of the Executive Council Panel of Experts on Education and Training and the Executive Council Advisory Group on the Role and Operation of NMHSs;

· the Deputy Director (Services)'s Presidency of the Commission for Basic Systems;

· the Superintendent Networks and Measurement's Vice-presidency of the Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observations;

· the Superintendent Hydrology's vice-presidency of the Commission for Hydrology;

· the Regional Director Tasmania and Antarctica's chairmanship of the Executive Council Working Group on Antarctic Meteorology; and

· representation on a number of other constituent bodies of WMO.

The Bureau continued to make a substantial contribution to international climate change issues, including through senior level participation in forums such as the:

· WMO-UNEP Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its Working Groups I, II and III; and

· Conference of the Parties (COP) and the Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The Bureau contributed significantly to the preparations for, and conduct of, the first session of the newly established WMO-IOC Joint Technical Commission on Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) and hosted the WMO Informal Planning Meeting on the WMO Voluntary Cooperation Programme and Related Technical Cooperation Programmes in Melbourne from 26 February to 1 March.

Meeting Australia's international obligations

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The World Weather Watch (WWW) of WMO is a globally coordinated system for the collection, processing and distribution of meteorological information in real time on a worldwide basis. It provides the common infrastructure to support a wide range of WMO activities at the national and international levels. The facilities of the WWW are used by other international organisations, in particular the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the IOC and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and provide the essential foundation for the development of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS).

The National Meteorological and Oceanographic Centre (NMOC) in Melbourne is an important and integral part of the WWW because of its incorporation of the role of a World Meteorological Centre (WMC), a Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) with geographic specialisation, an RSMC with activity specialisation in environmental emergency response, an IOC and WMO IGOSS (Integrated Global Ocean Services System) Specialised Oceanographic Centre (SOC) and an ICAO Regional Area Forecast Centre (RAFC), with the RAFC function ceasing during the year. The Darwin Regional Forecasting Centre of the Bureau is designated as an RSMC with geographic specialisation for the tropical area in the surrounding region. Additionally, Melbourne also hosts the WMO Regional Association V (South-West Pacific) Regional Instrument Centre while the Bureau of Meteorology Training Centre is a WMO Centre of Excellence in Satellite Meteorology Training.

These various roles carry specific international obligations for the provision of global and regional meteorological products, such as tropical cyclone or pollution dispersion predictions. Both the Melbourne and Darwin centres fulfilled their formal international obligations in 2000-01.

Additionally, during the year the Bureau:

· implemented a range of improvements and enhancements to the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) links between the Bureau and other NMHSs and overseas WMO centres, resulting in more efficient and effective exchange of data and products and, in particular, improved support and service to other NMHSs in WMO Region V;

· provided access to a wider range of meteorological products to NMHSs in the Pacific and South-East Asia, including numerical model output from the Tropical Limited Area Analysis and Prediction System to the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting in Vietnam and for the US Navy/Air Force Joint Typhoon Warning Centre in Hawaii;

· participated, through the Melbourne RSMC, in the global test of the WMO Environmental Emergency Response system; and

· in accordance with the decision of the WMO Commission for Basic Systems, assumed responsibility for the six-monthly update of the Catalogue of Meteorological Bulletins for WMO Region V Members.

Bilateral Activities

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The Bureau continued to maintain and develop existing bilateral programs with other countries. These programs enabled cost-effective application of pooled regional resources and expertise as well as transfer of technology for the collective benefit of the countries concerned. They also provided exposure to Australian meteorological technology in the Asia-Pacific region and helped further Australia's foreign policy objectives in the region. The benefits of these activities flow both ways, with improved capability and capacity leading to improved data flows, and generally higher quality, more reliable data available to all users.

Bilateral agreements

The cooperative program with Japan is particularly important because of the benefits accruing to Australia from access to data from the Japanese GMS and, in the future, from its successor the Multi-functional Transport Satellite (MTSAT) which is planned to be launched in 2003. During the year:

· the 20^th session of the Japan-Australia Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS) Joint Committee was hosted by the Bureau in Melbourne, 31 January - 2 February;

· the Bureau and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Meteorological Satellite Centre collaborated in the area of computer assisted learning, with the aim of improving the utilisation of satellite data for the common benefit of countries in the Asia-Pacific Region through training; and

· discussions were held with JMA on the generation and assimilation of cloud drift wind data, the use of high spatial, temporal and spectral resolution cloud drift wind data for regional forecasts and typhoon forecasting and on satellite and related instrument calibration matters.

The MOU between the Bureau and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) provided a framework for several collaborative activities during the year, with a focus on service delivery and improved monitoring systems. Activities under the MOU included:

· the visit by a 26-member CMA delegation to Bureau offices in Sydney and Melbourne to learn about Bureau experience with the provision of services for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and about other Bureau activities generally;

· discussions between two visiting CMA scientists and the Satellite Section of the Bureau on further improvements in the Turn Around Ranging Station for the Feng Yun-2 Satellite;

· discussions on the Bureau's ultraviolet forecasting system and radiation work during visits by Bureau scientists to the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, leading to possible collaboration in these two areas;

· assistance to CMA in their organisation of the WMO Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observation Technical Conference, TECO-2000 and METEOREX-2000, in Beijing in October; and

· attendance by two CMA scientists at the 12^th Annual BMRC Modelling Workshop.

Photo The Bureau, principally through the Superintendent, Networks and Measurement (Ray Canterford, Left), assisted the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) in the organisation and conduct of the WMO Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observation Technical Conference in Beijing in October.

Activities conducted under the MOU between the Bureau and the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) focused on:

· the Bureau's computing and communication systems, through the visit by four scientists from KMA to the Bureau Head Office and New South Wales Regional Office; and

· collaborative research, through the six-month attachment by an officer from the KMA to the BMRC.

The activities conducted under the MOU between the Bureau and the Indonesian Meteorological and Geophysical Agency (MGA) ranged widely, with particular exchanges in the areas of seasonal forecasting and tropical meteorology. Activities included:

· convening of the First Session of the MGA-Bureau Technical Committee in Darwin for discussions on the coordination and implementation of projects approved by the Joint Working Group (JWG);

· discussions on the availability of data for climate studies in eastern Indonesia and on collaborative research on seasonal forecasting and the potential implementation of seasonal forecasting in MGA;

· implementation of a Bureau sponsored project to upgrade the Kupang weather radar in Indonesia;

· training of an officer from MGA in tropical meteorology, marine meteorology and the interpretation and application of numerical weather prediction products through attachment to the Western Australia and Northern Territory Regional Offices;

· provision of partial funding by the Bureau to enable an MGA officer to undertake a postgraduate study program at Monash University;

· exchange of information on operational contacts with the aim of strengthening operational coordination during tropical cyclones; and

· provision of advice to MGA on priorities for the restoration of upper air stations in Indonesia.

Within the framework of the MOU between the Bureau and the Hydrometeorological Service of Vietnam (HMS), the achievements included:

· discussions on progress on cooperative activities and on plans for future activities at the Second Session of the Bureau-HMS Joint Working Group, which was convened in Vietnam in December;

· a submission by the Bureau to AusAID for a $2.9 million bilateral project for HMS on the Introduction of NWP Systems and Forecaster Workstations to the HMS, following a feasibility study conducted by two Bureau officers;

· a study of nowcasting techniques and attendance at the International Workshop on the Dynamics and Forecasting of Tropical Weather Systems, held in Darwin, through visits by HMS officers to the Northern Territory Regional Office; and

· evaluation of the current status of seasonal forecasting in the HMS and training of personnel in relevant current techniques, through the visit to HMS by a Bureau officer.

The sixth formal meeting between the Bureau and the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, within the framework of the MOU between the two organisations, was held in June in Geneva. The meeting drew up future plans for cooperative activities.

Under the MOU on cooperation in meteorology between the Bureau and the Islamic Republic of Iran Meteorological Organization (IRIMO), the Bureau provided assistance to an officer of IRIMO to complete a documentary research project in the Antarctic.

During the year, the Bureau continued to strengthen cooperation with the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the WMO Sub-regional Office for the South-West Pacific in Apia, with a major focus on climate and monitoring issues. The following cooperative activities were implemented during the year:

· provision of funding support to the Meteorology and Climatology Officer position within SPREP for a limited period;

· initial implementation of the recommendations of the needs analysis carried out in 1999 for Pacific Island countries and territories, assisted by some support funding provided by the Bureau, through WMO;

· conduct by Bureau officers of a feasibility study for a weather radar network in French Polynesia; and

· assistance to SPREP in organising the Pacific Islands Regional Workshop on the GCOS.

Photo - The first GCOS Regional Implementation Workshop in Apia was hosted by the Government of Samoa and formally opened by the Honorable Minister Mafasolia Papu Vaai, Department of Agriculture, Forest, Fisheries and Meteorology. Bureau officers made a substantial contribution to the Workshop.

Support for the NMHSs of developing countries

The Bureau worked closely with the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of several developing countries in the South Pacific, Asia, the Indian Ocean and Africa in the provision of meteorological training and in bilateral and multilateral support programs, in collaboration with AusAID and other organisations, and through contribution to the Voluntary Cooperation Programme of WMO.

These activities were aimed primarily at augmenting the quality of meteorological (including climatological) and related environmental data in these countries; improving the capabilities of the NMHSs to undertake research, provide services and monitor climate; improving regional telecommunication links; and enhancing data input into regional and global numerical weather prediction models run by the NMOC in Melbourne, in support of weather services for Australia and of its role as a WMC under the WMO WWW. During the year:

· training in tropical meteorology and marine meteorology was provided to an officer from the Yemen Meteorological Service, through attachment to the Western Australian Regional Office;

· discussions were held on matters related to meteorological observations, instrumentation and data management during a visit to the Bureau by the Director of Technical Services of the Malaysian Meteorological Service;

· the Bureau made a submission to AusAID to bid for a $0.50m project for the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre in Singapore under the ASEAN-Australia Development Cooperation Program;

· assistance was given to the Vanuatu Meteorological Service to enable the upgrading of the GTS communication link to Vanuatu;

· partial funding was provided to enable two officers from the Malaysian Meteorological Service to visit the Bureau Head Office and the Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station;

· a three-member delegation from the Cambodian Meteorological Service visited the Bureau to learn about Bureau activities;

· the Bureau contributed to the SPREP Meteorological Special Fund on Technical Cooperation set up to meet the critical needs of Meteorological Services of SPREP Member countries;

· the Directors of the Tuvalu and Kiribati Meteorological Services attended the Eighth Session of the WMO Regional Association V Tropical Cyclone Committee for the South Pacific and South-East Indian Ocean (TCCSPSEIO), under the AusAID International Seminars Support Scheme and with the assistance of the Bureau;

· on-the-job training in the provision of tropical cyclone warnings was provided by the Bureau to meteorologists in Niue and Fiji, under a mentoring program established by the TCCSPSEIO;

· a scientist from the Uganda Meteorological Service began a six-month attachment to the Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre to learn about Bureau activities in climate change/variability and climate prediction; and

· three trainees (two from Zimbabwe and one from Lesotho) supported by the Bureau under the VCP, and two from Singapore (supported by the Singapore Government) completed the 2000 Diploma in Meteorology Course; and three trainees (from Lesotho, Papua New Guinea and Zimbabwe) supported by the Bureau under the VCP, and one from Malawi and one from Hong Kong, supported from other sources, joined the 2001 Course.

Through the WMO VCP, the Bureau also contributed:

· towards the implementation of the Global Climate Observing System Programme;

· to the Climate and Environment Activities Trust Fund for the Climate Information and Prediction System Project; and

· to upgrading the wind measuring instrumentation in Tonga in collaboration with MetService of New Zealand Limited.

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