Weather and Climate Resilience - Effective Preparedness through National Meteorological and Hydrological Services

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Every day brings a reminder of how weather, climate and water affect the lives and livelihoods of each and every one of us, whether we live in Washington, D.C., Nairobi, or Dhaka. As this publication goes to print, more than 5,000 people are reported missing or presumed dead after major flooding in Uttarakhand, India; while in other parts of the world it is a lack of water coupled with extreme temperatures — that is taking lives and destroying livelihoods.

One part of the solution is to invest in structural mitigation measures (such as dams and levees); another is to map the hazards, identify vulnerabilities, provide accurate risk information and build early-warning platforms to enable early action in the face of extreme weather. Even a few minutes’ warning can save lives, and longer lead times can help people protect livelihoods.