CMO marks 50th anniversary
The Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO) this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Agreement for the Establishment of the Caribbean Meteorological Organization, which was signed on 19 October 1973, in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis.
The CMO was established as a Specialised Institution of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which is also celebrating its 50th anniversary. The provision of meteorological and hydrometeorological services is very unique because it cannot be done without major cooperation and collaboration among all nations, large and small, both on the regional and global levels, a primary motivator for the establishment of the CMO.
The CMO originated from the old British Caribbean Meteorological Service that was established by the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) in 1951. Following the breakup of the West Indies Federation in 1962, the Heads of Government established the Ministerial-level Caribbean Meteorological Council (CMC) to oversee what became the Caribbean Meteorological Service (CMS) in 1963. The Caribbean Meteorological Service established the Caribbean Meteorological Institute (CMI) in 1967 [now the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) as of 1999], with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO). With the formation of many National Meteorological Services after independence, the CMO was established in 1973, to enhance the integration and coordination of the scientific and technical work of the Meteorological Services, the Council and
the Institute.
For this milestone celebration, CMO held a webinar titled ‘The Early Years of Meteorology in the English-Speaking Caribbean’. The webinar represented a unique opportunity to delve into the evolution of meteorology in the English-speaking Caribbean “in the early days”, as presented by some of the pioneers: Dr. John Lee, Dr. Michael Garstang and Dr. Kenrick Leslie.
The webinar is part of the celebrations in advance of the formal 50th anniversary celebration, which will be held on 15 November 2023, in conjunction with the 65th Caribbean Meteorological Council and Related Meetings, which will be held in Port-of-Spain, the location of the CMO
Headquarters.
This year’s theme, ‘Weather, Climate, and Water: Charting a Path to a Sustainable and Resilient Future’, highlights the importance of weather, climate and water to the safety and sustainable development of the Region.
The Caribbean Meteorological Organization looks forward to many more years of service to the region and the world. (CMO Press Release)
Contact:
Dr Arlene Laing| Coordinating Director|CMO Headquarters Unit|cmohq@cmo.org.tt| http://www.cmo.org.tt
About the CMO
The Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO) is a specialized agency of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) that coordinates the joint scientific and technical activities in weather, climate and water – related sciences in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands. The Organs of the CMO are the: (i) Caribbean Meteorological Council (CMC), Ministerial-level, Governing
Body, (ii) Headquarters Unit, headed by a Coordinating Director, located in Trinidad and Tobago; (iii) Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) located in Barbados; and (iv) Caribbean Meteorological Foundation
Source: CARICOM TODAY