The second session of the South Asia Hydromet Forum (SAHF)’s Executive Council kicked off in Bangkok, Thailand today.

The event is being held in hybrid mode at Rangsit, Thailand on 19 and 20 September, 2022. The SAHF Executive Council (EC) is convening to review progress, agree on strategies and actions identified in the SAHF Regional Approach, establish a mechanism to sustain SAHF beyond the current phase, and decide on the way forward.

The EC members, co-chairs of the SAHF Working Groups and developmental partners are expected to participate in the meeting. RIMES, along with the World Bank, is providing technical support for the meeting. Since its inception, the EC has been an integral part of all SAHF activities through its continued guidance and support. The EC continues to steer the implementation of SAHF activities in the region.

The first EC meeting/ inception meeting was held on 1 April, 2021 virtually where representatives of NMHSs from the region constituted the EC. The SAHF EC is constituted by DG/Directors of NMHSs as a managerial council that develops strategic plans for implementation of the SAHF program to support South Asia regional development in operational forecasting and service delivery.

The SAHF is organized through various processes including the annual SAHF sessions which covers all aspects of the forum and with a representation from a wide group of stakeholders connected to operational hydromet services delivery. Similarly, there are thematic Working Groups (WGs) constituted by nominated experts from NMHSs of the countries. The WGs assess capacity needs and build synergy for regional benefits in the four SAHF thematic areas: Impact Based Forecasting, Numerical Weather Prediction, Capacity Enhancement and Observational Networks. The SAHF also organizes the weekly Forecasters Forum as a communication mechanism between operational forecasters in the region to evaluate and discuss latest climate and weather developments. 31 sessions with participation of nine NMHSs across South Asia have been held so far.

Supported by the World Bank, the South Asia Hydromet Forum (SAHF) is a regional initiative that provides capacity building and training activities to support National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) to generate and transform climate data into reliable information that are critical in saving lives and assets and strengthening the resilience of communities in South Asia.