During the annual council meeting of the Caribbean Meteorological Community, which took place in Trinidad and Tobago, regional members spoke about their 50th anniversary in this way.
Seigonie Mohammed, was present and provides us with this report.
00:00 Did you know that the Caribbean is one of the regions of the world most vulnerable to climate change?
00:06 We've got instances where there are increases in sea level, increased temperatures,
00:11 we also have more droughts and stronger storms.
00:15 It's reasons like this why the 16 members of the Caribbean Meteorological Organization come together
00:21 to renew their commitment in working together to impact the community and the region
00:26 toward better science and technology.
00:30 Enhancing the region's meteorological capabilities entails formulating plans
00:34 and maintaining advancement on the part of all participating member states,
00:39 and it only occurs once a year.
00:41 Here the Council meets frequently and deliberates on a wide range of issues.
00:46 The Director of the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service, Shakir Baig,
00:49 provided insights into how our nation compares to the other countries.
00:54 Trinidad and Tobago is a leader in the implementation of the quality management system for meteorological services.
01:01 Many of our Caribbean counterparts are now in the initial stages of beginning to implement this quality management system.
01:09 So when we gather like this we get the opportunity to collaborate,
01:13 to share technical expertise and best practices on how our other partner Met services can go forward.
01:22 Marvin Gonzalez, the newly appointed chairperson of the 65th Session of the Caribbean Meteorological Council
01:28 and Minister of Public Utilities, provided an update on the latest activities on our island.
01:33 A little over a week ago we acquired a geostationary operational environmental receiving system,
01:42 which allows for more accurate and timely weather forecasts as well as a better understanding of long-term conditions.
01:50 As it relates to the Doppler radar at Brasov, Vernado, which has been out of commission for quite a while,
01:57 its civil and structural works have been completed at the radar tower,
02:01 and it is now ready to receive the new radar system once the contractors have completed servicing the installation.
02:10 We expect this to take place within the next three months.
02:14 And in order to improve the reliability of the service and to build redundancy into its capacity for providing accurate real-time weather information,
02:24 the TTMS expects to procure an additional radar system in 2024 similar to the Ranger radar in Tobago.
02:36 What precisely does that mean to the end user, given that climate change and increasing climate variability continue to affect our daily lives?
02:44 It means that our region has had confidence in the organization to provide them with information and guidance
02:53 in matters of weather, water and climate for many decades.
02:57 Our theme this year is weather, water and climate, charting a path to a resilient and sustainable future.
03:03 Not only looking at where we're going, but having that foundation of where we came from.
03:08 The importance of having this commitment at the highest level, and of the community being informed of what's happening with the climate,
03:15 was emphasized by Rodney Martinez, the World Meteorological Organization's representative for North America, Central America and the Caribbean at this year's CMC.
03:25 It's very inspiring to see how the progress and this collaboration has been so effective.
03:31 That is, it has allowed 50 years of services for the community, the progress and of course it's going forward and forward.
03:40 It's an example for the world.
03:42 Spanning 50 years, collaboration is regarded by many members present as the spirit of the region.
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