World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)

About World Meteorological Organisation (WMO):

• It is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN).
• It is the UN system's authoritative voice on the state and behavior of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, the climate it produces, and the resulting distribution of water resources.
• It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was founded in 1873. 
• Established in 1950, WMO became the specialized agency of the UN for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.
• Headquarters:  Geneva, Switzerland.
• Currently it has a membership of 187 countries.
• Governance Structure:
  • Its supreme body is the World Meteorological Congress, which consists of representatives of all members. It meets at least every four years to set general policy and adopt regulations.
  • A 36-member Executive Council meets annually and implements policy.
  • The Secretariat, headed by a secretary-generalappointed by the congress for a four-year term, serves as the administrative centre of the organization.
  • Six regional associationsaddress problems peculiar to their regions.
  • Eight technical commissions.
• Major Programmes:
  • World Weather Watch: A system of satellites and telecommunication networks connecting land and sea sites for monitoring weather conditions.
  • World Climate Programme: It monitors climate change, including global warming.
  • Atmospheric Research and Environment Programme: Designed to promote research on issues such as ozone depletion.