A new series of videos and a comprehensive brochure exploring the work of the Met Office managed Weather and Climate Science for Service Partnership (WCSSP) programme has been launched. These recognise the significant achievements of the programme to date due to the committed efforts of those within the Met Office and partner organisations.
Back in 2014, the Met Office established the WCSSP programme on behalf of the UK government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). Through collaboration with other UK institutions, international meteorological services and governments across participating countries, WCSSP undertakes world-leading scientific research to underpin global weather and climate research and services.
WCSSP has and continues to build a vast global network of partnerships to deliver and evolve essential weather and climate knowledge. Partner countries currently include Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Africa, and Vietnam, and research and services produced support increased resilience to protect lives and livelihoods.
Harnessing the extensive weather and climate scientific expertise of over 700 researchers from more than 50 institutes around the world, projects range from the development of solar radiation forecasts in South Africa, to studying the formation of tropical cyclones in Southeast Asia.
The new series of videos explore each of the projects and the programme, in conjunction with a comprehensive brochure including key case studies that have been developed to demonstrate the value and impact the work has had to date.
Over the last nine years, the programme has delivered substantial impact and benefit including:
- Developing 30 new or improved weather and climate service products, providing new capabilities that are supporting increased resilience to extreme weather and climate change around the world.
- Training over 350 people in a variety of weather and climate change fields, strengthening the research capacity and skill base of institutions and individuals around the world.
- Publishing over 650 scientific papers with more than 14,000 citations in international journals, significantly expanding the global scientific knowledge base. Publications have been viewed over one million times.
- Facilitating over 100 research exchange visits between partner organisations, enhancing scientific collaboration and expanding researchers’ scientific networks.
- Having research cited in over 150 policy documents from 17 different countries, highlighting its influence on the development of policies, strategies and standards around the world.
- Supporting the roll out of impact-based forecasting systems complimenting the recommendations of the World Meteorological Organisation and the UN Early Warnings for All initiative
