Terms of Reference for WMO CAgM
Commission for Agricultural Meteorology
President: Dr Raymond Motha (USA)
OPAG 1 - Agrometeorological Services for Agricultural Production
Chair: Paul DORAISWAMY RA IV (USA)
6.1 - Expert Team (ET) on Weather, Climate and Farmers (ETWCF)
(a) To review and develop recommendations for enhancing more effective and regular
communication, and dialogue for training and demonstration between agrometeorological services and farmers at the local level to provide better
services to farmers;
(b) To review the use of weather and climate data and make recommendations for improvements in applications of agrometeorological
products, and advisories and forecasts for both short-term daily operational decisions and long-term strategic planning at the farm level;
(c) To establish procedures and guidance for the proper use of agrometeorological information for crop, livestock, forestry and fisheries
management;
(d) To describe, using case studies from Member countries, successful applications of weather and climate for agriculture, and review the
strengths, weaknesses and limitations for more general use;
(e) To prepare reports for operational applications in accordance with timetables established by the OPAG and/or MG.
Leader: Zoltan DUNKEL RA VI (Hungary)
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6.2 - Expert Team (ET) on Strengthening Information and Dissemination
Networks, including Monitoring and Early-Warning Systems (ETSIDN)
(a) To survey the status of information and dissemination networks in Member countries and
make recommendations on enhancing and/or establishing information delivery systems to specifically address the needs of operational agriculture;
(b) To determine the gaps in agricultural information, such as crop phenology, crop moisture status and drought indices, to improve
agrometeorological analyses for agriculture;
(c) To establish guidelines and procedures to standardize the flow of timely and accurate information to farmers;
(d) To review and develop recommendations for promoting better use of technological advances in communication of information, e.g. radio
and Internet, for the delivery of timely information to agriculture, rangelands, forestry and fisheries;
(e) To submit reports in accordance with timetables established by the OPAG and/or MG.
Leader: Byong-Lyol LEE RA II (Republic of Korea)
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6.3 - Expert Team (ET) on Management of Natural and Environmental Resources
for Sustainable Agricultural Development (ETMNER)
(a) To assess and report on the appropriate agrometeorological criteria to conserve
and manage natural and environmental resources for the benefit of agriculture, rangelands, forestry and fisheries and for other relevant rural
activities;
(b) To survey the status of, and summarize the information on, trends in land degradation at the national and regional levels;
(c) To document case studies of successful measures to manage land use, protect land and mitigate land degradation;
(d) To provide liaison with JCOMM on the Inter-Commission activities on natural disaster reduction in coastal lowland areas;
(e) To establish practical guidelines from an agrometeorological perspective for the conservation of natural and environmental resources
in harmony with agricultural production systems;
(f) To establish operational guidelines for fire weather agrometeorology;
(g) To prepare reports in accordance with timetables established by the OPAG and/or MG.
Leader: Roger STONE RA V (Australia)
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OPAG 2 - Support Systems for Agrometeorological Services
Chair: Giampiero MARACCHI RA VI (Italy)
6.4 - ET on Techniques (including technologies such as GIS and Remote Sensing)
for Agroclimatic Characterization and Sustainable Land Management (ETAC)
(a) To develop a statement of requirements for defining and quantifying observational
characteristics in general and for specific regions, pertaining to agroclimatic features, land use management and projected future trends, emphasizing
the adequacy of information needed for application of GIS technology to agriculture, rangelands, forestry and fisheries;
(b) To review and recommend appropriate agroclimatic zoning methods and promote their use in operational applications and
agrometeorological bulletins and advisories;
(c) To promote innovative techniques for sustainable land use management, based on suitable agroclimatic characterization, as documented
from surveys of successful pilot projects at the national and regional levels;
(d) To make recommendations on the methods to cope with limitations and weaknesses in the provision and accessibility of innovative
operational technologies at the national and regional levels;
(e) To prepare reports in accordance with timetables established by the OPAG and/or MG.
Leader: Federica Rossi (Ms) RA VI (Italy)
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6.5 - Expert Team (ET) on Database Management, Validation and Application of
Models, and Research Methods at the Eco-Regional Level (ETDM)
(a) To make recommendations on the efficient ways and means of database
management, including computer technology, standardized analytical techniques and integrated information management systems;
(b) To investigate and document appropriate operational requirements for the validation of selected models in agriculture, rangelands,
forestry and fisheries and methodological developments to apply these models at a regional scale;
(c) To determine and specify the needs of agriculture, rangelands, forestry and fisheries in future agrometeorological information
management systems;
(d) To assess and report on eco-regional research at the national and regional levels that may serve as models for broader application;
(e) To submit reports in accordance with timetables established by the OPAG and/or MG.
Leader: Elijah Mukhala RA I (Zimbabwe)
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OPAG 3 - Climate Change/Variability and Natural Disasters in Agriculture
Chair Jim Salinger RA VI (New Zealand)
6.6 - Expert Team (ET) on Impact of Climate Change/Variability on Medium- to
Long-Range Predictions for Agriculture (ETCMLP)
(a) To appraise and report on current capabilities in the analyses of climate
change/variability and long-range prediction studies, specifically as they relate to and affect agriculture, rangelands, forestry and fisheries at the
national and regional levels;
(b) To produce a review on the current status of methodologies for the presentation of seasonal to interannual prediction products and
applications to the agricultural end user;
(c) To review the availability and suitability of software packages for the calculation of appropriate seasonal climate variability
indices for agricultural applications;
(d) To make recommendations on research and development activities needed to improve the technology for the benefit of agriculture,
rangelands, forestry and fisheries;
(e) To prepare reports in accordance with timetables established by the OPAG and/or MG.
Leader: Holger Meinke RA V (Australia)
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6.7 - Expert Team (ET) on Reduction of the Impact of Natural Disasters and
Mitigation of Extreme Events in Agriculture, Rangelands, Forestry and Fisheries (ETRND)
(a) To develop a list of requirements quantifying observational data needs, analytical tools, and information delivery mechanisms to
facilitate greater early detection of extreme events to help mitigate their impacts on agriculture, rangelands, forestry and fisheries;
(b) To document national, regional, and global quidelines for awareness of potential natural disasters, and to make recommendations for
early alert monitoring;
(c) To study prototype examples at the national level on how agrometeorological information is being used operationally to reduce the
impact of natural disasters and extreme events, and compile a survey to be prepared for the Member countries;
(d) To make recommendations on research and development activities needed to better understand the potential risks to agriculture,
rangelands, forestry and fisheries from natural disasters and extreme events;
(e) To prepare reports in accordance with timetables established by the OPAG and/or MG.
Leader: Haripada P. Das RA II (India)
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6.8 - Expert Team (ET) on Contribution of Agriculture to the State of Climate (ETCAC)
(a)
To review estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from agroecosystems as well as recommend best management practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
from agroecosystems;
(b) To assess the feedback mechanisms from human activities in agriculture, rangelands, forests and fisheries that may influence weather
and climate at the local, national, regional and global levels;
(c) To document both positive and negative influences of agriculture on weather and climate systems;
(d) To investigate and report on how alterations or trends in national, regional and global agriculture will contribute to variations in
the state of weather and climate systems;
(e) To develop guidelines for increasing awareness within farming communities of adaptation/mitigation strategies to address climate
change issues;
(f) To make recommendations on research and development activities needed to better understand the contribution of agriculture, rangeland,
forestry and fishery activities to the state of climate;
(g) To submit reports in accordance with timetables established by the OPAG and/or MG.
Leader: Raymond Desjardins RA IV (Canada)
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Expert Team Reporting Directly to the President
Chair: Cornelis Stigter RA VI (Netherlands)
6.9 - Expert Team (ET) on the Guide to Agricultural Meteorological Practices (ETGAMP)
(a) To assist the
president in updating services, technologies, methodologies and operational applications of agrometeorology in the revision of the Guide to
Agricultural Meteorological Practices (WMO-NO. 134);
(b) To coordinate a thorough revision of each chapter in the Guide as well as to oversee the introduction of new chapters, as necessary,
to update the Guide;
(c) To establish procedures for users, presidents of regional associations and Members to collaborate on recommendations and editorial
reviews for each chapter;
(d) To make changes, as necessary, in authors and reviewers to ensure that progress remains on schedule;
(e) To develop a strategy for draft preparations, editorial reviews and deadlines for completion of each section of the Guide;
(f) To report on progress to the president and MG through brief written reports on an annual basis.
Chair: Cornelis Stigter RA VI
(Netherlands)
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