WMO is joining with the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) of the United Arab Emirates in organizing a pioneering workshop on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Weather Prediction and Environmental Services.
The event takes place 9-11 September at NCM's headquarters in Abu Dhabi. It will seek to promote cutting-edge scientific and technological solutions to enhance capacity to provide accurate and reliable meteorological and climate services and support decision-makers and society in addressing environmental and climate challenges.
The workshop aims to explore the latest developments in applying AI to environmental datasets, enabling WMO Member States to strengthen their national capabilities in weather forecasting, climate monitoring, hydrology, and marine environmental services. It also focuses on improving the accuracy of hazard warnings and data-driven decisions, while highlighting opportunities, risks, and challenges associated with integrating AI into operational services.
Participants will discuss innovative approaches for environmental observations, the deployment of advanced forecasting systems, and strategies to enhance capacity-building while reducing the digital divide, particularly for least developed countries and small island developing states.
Leading experts from the public sector, private sector, and academia, along with representatives from WMO modeling centres, national meteorological and hydrological services, technical commissions, research boards, and the Scientific Advisory Panel, will attend the workshop.
This diverse group will exchange knowledge and best practices, collaborate on innovative solutions, and develop strategies to enhance national and international capabilities in weather prediction and environmental services, with a strong emphasis on transparency, trust, and multi-stakeholder cooperation.
Key topics of discussion include evaluating current observational and training data, ensuring compatibility across AI models, developing integrated processing and forecasting systems, establishing protocols for model evaluation and comparison, and promoting the sharing of source codes.
The workshop will also focus on practical applications, ensuring the sustainability of operational services, and maintaining quality, reliability, and consistency in forecasts. Additionally, participants will explore options to strengthen capacity-building and reduce the digital divide, enabling vulnerable nations to provide accurate and effective meteorological services through public-private partnerships.
The workshop will further address the potential roles and responsibilities of public and private sectors and academia within the hydro-meteorological value cycle. Participants will review best practices and innovative approaches for collecting non-traditional environmental observations that support the development of AI solutions, helping to improve environmental, climate, and hydrological forecasting on a broad scale.
Another goal of the workshop is to establish a strategic framework for collaboration between the public and private sectors and academia, including drafting recommendations and structured dialogue mechanisms to address emerging challenges and accelerate the development and application of AI models and tools for weather prediction, climate services, hydrology, and related environmental services.
These recommendations will inform discussions at the WMO Extraordinary Congress from 20-24 October, under the theme "WMO Call to the Industry to Collaborate on the Development of AI Models and Tools to Improve the Provision of Weather, Climate, Water and Other Environmental Services."
