Caribbean Meteorological Organization

Group on Earth Observations – GEO Week 2023

Statement of the Caribbean Meteorological Organization

On behalf of the Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO), I am delighted to express our support for the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Week in 2023. It is imperative to underscore the pivotal role that GEO continues to play in providing access to open Earth observations, information and knowledge platforms, and principles, especially in this dynamic era of evolving data needs.

As an intergovernmental regional organization, the CMO diligently undertakes the coordination of scientific and technical endeavours in weather, climate, and water-related sciences, including bolstering capacities for multi-hazard monitoring, risk assessment, impact-based forecasting, and hydro-meteorological warning in sixteen (16) English-speaking Caribbean Small Island and Coastal Developing States. CMO Member States are beneficiaries of Earth observations, and thus, we are committed to fostering an enabling Earth observation infrastructure, in fulfilment of Member States’ needs.

The CMO acknowledges the pressures on our environment and by extension on our societies due to extreme weather and climate. Availability of Earth observation data and applications for effective use of the data are paramount to addressing weather, water, and climate-related challenges and their environmental impacts. This is even more crucial for Caribbean Small Island States, many of which need earth-system data that are suitable for island-scale analysis and are lacking in-situ oceanic data to guide decision-making for the important coastal and marine sectors of their economies.

Therefore, the CMO extends its support for the Group’s 2023–2025 work programme initiatives, including its relevant regional activities, which have direct nexus and benefit for the Caribbean Small Island and Coastal Developing States. Each of these initiatives endeavour to translate innovative research results into usable, value-added Earth observation-based products and services.

It is undeniable that Earth observations have gained tremendous significance at the regional level, as geospatial data and analytics are now at the forefront of decision-making processes. The region seeks to mitigate the cascading weather, water, and climate-related issues that continue to hinder sustainable regional development. For the Caribbean, remotely-sensed Earth observations are indispensable tools for hazard and environmental monitoring. Remotely sensed Earth observations empower effective decision-making in flood zoning and mitigation, land use management, and other areas, helping to offset the in-situ data challenges in the Caribbean.

In light of the foregoing, the CMO remains an advocate for Earth observations accessibility, utilization, and exploitation to advance adaptation to extreme weather and accelerating climate change and advance regional resilience-building. To this end, the CMO initiated activities to increase access to Earth observations by its Members, as well as supported training workshops and the establishment of a community of practice, aimed at augmenting national and regional capacity in the use of geospatial information technologies. During this training, participants were exposed to public-domain sources of remotely sensed Earth observations, and developed a comprehensive understanding of Google Earth Engine and the knowledge of, use, and interpretation of moderate and high-resolution satellite imagery and synthetic aperture radar data.

The CMO remains committed to its mission of strengthening the delivery of meteorological, climate and hydrological services by its Members, which are enhanced by the integration of Earth observations into their value cycles. We believe that our efforts, in collaboration with GEO and other stakeholders, will help to steer our region towards a more sustainable and resilient future.