World Meteorological Organization Working together in weather, climate and water WMO OMM WMO World Agrometeorological Information Service (WAMIS) Robert Stefanski Agricultural Meteorology Division Climate Prediction and Adaptation Branch Climate and Water Department

WMO OMM 2 Inter-Regional Workshop on Improving Agrometeorological Bulletins, Bridgetown, Barbados (Oct 2001). Attended by 25 experts from 21 countries. Participants developed the concept of a centralized web server for agrometeorological products. Inter-Regional Workshop on Improving Agrometeorological Bulletins

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4 Expert Group Meeting on Internet Applications for Agrometeorological Products, Washington, D.C. (May 2002). Attended by 12 experts from 7 countries. Experts developed a plan to implement a centralized web server to host: –National Agrometeorological Bulletins –Agrometeorological Advisories –Agrometeorological Training Modules Expert Group Meeting on Internet Applications for Agrometeorological Products

WMO OMM 5 To discuss how internet could be used as an effective medium in the presentation and dissemination of improved agrometeorological products; To evaluate the different tasks involved in creating a dedicated Web Server for Agrometeorological Products (WESAP) from agrometeorological services around the world; To review and make available on the Internet simple and effective training modules including simple software packages and tools to help the agrometeorological services develop suitable contents for agrometeorological products; Objectives of Expert Group Meeting

WMO OMM 6 To develop guidelines for the agrometeorological services to post routinely their agrometeorological products on the Internet; and To discuss and develop a monitoring and evaluation tool for obtaining the user feedback on the agrometeorological products to ensure that the service provided on the WESAP is continuously improved and updated for the users. Objectives of Expert Group Meeting 2

WMO OMM 7 Targeted three audiences for the training modules: 1st group no opportunity to attend training, no resources (libraries), no products. 2nd second group producing some products, but has no bulletins, and needs improvement. 3rd group advanced members who already produce bulletins and products but looking for improvement. Three types of training modules/tools were identified: those that are already available; those that need to be adapted; and those that need to be developed. Expert Group Meeting: Working Group on Training Modules

WMO OMM 8 Phase I (First Year) Within one month of signing the contract –Initial Setup of Web Server –Initial Web Site development –Officially Online Subsequent Months –Web page updates and refinements done by WMO project manager –Addition of simple training modules Original Project Schedule

WMO OMM 9 Phase II (Second Year) Develop the capability for member countries to start updating bulletins Development of database capabilities and dynamic web page Addition of more complex training modules Original Project Schedule 2

WMO OMM 10 Spring and summer of 2003, bids were obtained from 4 companies. Through the WMO bid selection process, the U.S. based web-hosting company INETU from Allentown, PA was chosen. Autumn of 2003, INETU developed the website and logo with feedback from the WAMIS Project Manager. Selection of Hosting Company

WMO OMM 11 Dedicated web server FreeBSD Web Server FreeBSD OS Intel Celeron Processor 1.7 GHz Memory (RAM) – 256 MB Primary Hard Drive – 40 GB IDE Secondary Hard Drive – 40 GB IDE Bandwidth per month 15 GB, now unlimited Actual Web Server Specifications

WMO OMM 12 Redundant Internet Connectivity 6 IP Addresses 24/7/365 On-Call Support Level 1 - Active Port Monitoring 100% Hardware Warranty Uninterruptible Power (UPS) Security Patch Updates Running Extremely Secure & Stable FreeBSD Operating System Serious Support $225 per month - $2700 per year INETU Hosting Services & Features

WMO OMM 13 December 2003, WAMIS officially went online with products from Peru and the US. Shortly thereafter, in January 2004, thanks to colleagues from Italy ( and South Korea ( the WAMIS mirror sites went online. Online

WMO OMM 14 Benefits of WAMIS to Members WAMIS helps members to disseminate and improve their agro meteorological products. As a dedicated web server, it allows countries to place their existing agrometeorological bulletins and advisories on a near real-time basis. Provides tools and resources to help members improve the quality and presentation of their agrometeorological bulletins. Provides a central location for agrometeorological information so that members can quickly and easily evaluate the various bulletins.

WMO OMM 15 Reminder – Keep in Mind Providing agrometeorological bulletins through the Internet is ONLY ONE DISSEMINATION METHOD for interacting with users. This does not replace direct interactions with users or using other media (newspaper, radio, TV, etc)

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WMO OMM 17 Current Status As of March 2010, there are products and bulletins from 50 countries and organizations. Nearly 500,000 visits since the inception of the website in December 2003 and an average of about 15,000 visits are made per month. WAMIS mirror servers still maintained by Italian Institute of Biometeorology ( and by NCAM – Republic of Korea (

WMO OMM 18 Current Status 2 Number of Web Links only = 24 Number of Actual Bulletins (PDF) = 26 –Received by = 12 –Accessed by web = 14 –Automatically uploaded = 0

WMO OMM 19 Current Status 3 Regional Distribution of Products and Links –16 - Africa (Region I) – 5 - Asia (Region II) – 7 - South America (Region III) – 8 - North and Central America (Region IV) – 6 - Southwest Pacific (Region V) – 8 - Europe (Region VI)

WMO OMM 20 Currently about 15,000 visits per month

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WMO OMM 26 Tools and Resources 19 categories of Tools and Resources with over 77 links. Climate Forecasts Data Management Dissemination Drought Feedback Forestry/Fire GIS GRADS Irrigation/Drainage Natural Disasters Observations Online Training Phenology Plant/Animal Health Rainfall Monitoring Remote Sensing Soil Erosion Statistics Weather/Climate Data

WMO OMM 27 Current Issues Tools and Resources Resource page for NMHS on Weather and Desert Locusts –At one time, weather data was loaded on viewed National Progress Report for Agrometeorology (npr.wamis.org) ISO Search Engine for WMO Information System (WIS) WAMIS used as PDF storage for WMO Agricultural Meteorology Program

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WMO OMM 35 Goals of WMO Information System (WIS) GTS needs to be open to all WMO activities to provide time critical information exchange Internet should be a part of WIS to allow support of less critical requirements The continuous improvement and adaptation of new technologies in the GTS should be maintained. The WIS should be open to more than just WMO programs allowing partners to participate Need seamless discovery, access and retrieval (DAR) across all WMO systems, including collaborators and partners.

WMO OMM 36 Commercial Service Providers 5 GAW World Data Centres GCOS Data Centres Global Run-off Data Centre IRI and other climate research institutes Universities Regional Climate Centres International Organizations (IAEA, CTBTO, UNEP, FAO.. ) World Radiation Centre Regional Instrument Centres WMO World Data Centres Real-time “push” On-demand “pull” Internet DCPC NC/ DCPC NC NC/ DCPC NC GISC Satellite Two-Way System Satellite Dissemination NC DCPC GISC DCPC WMO Information System (WIS) National Centres (NC) Global Information System Centres (GISC) Data Collection and Production Centres (DCPC) Data communication network WAMIS

WMO OMM 37 ISO Search Engine for WMO Information System (WIS) Inter-Commission Coordination Group on the WMO Information System (ICG/WIS) – CAgM Representative Byong Lee First phase: development ISO compatible search engine on WAMIS, enable users to make searches on WAMIS via WIS. WIS Expert visited KMA in May 2009 WIS-compliant search interface "GeoNetwork“ was implemented, free, open source, software written primarily in Java. KMA & WIS expert created metadata for WAMIS links & products, Development and testing of Geonetwork-based WAMIS metadata search and maintenance Web site continues.

WMO OMM 38 Future Projects, Uses and Issues Use output from CAgM like ET 2.2 on Collection and Evaluation of Operational Agrometeorological Tools and Methodologies (Kenya 2008) EU Cost Action Pubs Bibliography from RA III Brainstorming Meeting – April 2010, Republic of Korea

WMO OMM 39 Several information technologies and internet tools have potential to aid the agrometeorolgical community: Web-based GIS tools, remote-sensing information, Online crop model applications, XML standards for agrometeorological bulletins, Downscaled model information (gridded evapotransipiration and soil moisture estimates), New Technologies

WMO OMM 40 Numerical Weather Prediction information into agrometeorological models (crop, irrigation, pest/diseases), Online training and educational modules. Any others?? New Technologies

WMO OMM 41 To review the current status and capabilities of WAMIS To survey the current state-of-the-art information technologies and internet tools that have application to agrometeorology; To evaluate and identify technologies and tools on their usefulness to global or regional agrometeorological communities and their potential to be hosted on WAMIS; To make recommendations on potential new WAMIS applications including the development of draft project proposals WAMIS Meeting Objectives

WMO OMM 42 Future Directions Improve access and operation of online bulletins Improve Agrometeorological bulletins for members Online Applications Training Modules Any or all of these? Others?

World Meteorological Organization Working together in weather, climate and water WMO OMM WMO Thank You World Meteorological Organization Geneva Switzerland