ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee

ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee
Name	ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee
Formation	1968
Type	Intergovernmental organization
Region served	Asia-Pacific
Parent organizations	United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; World Meteorological Organization

ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee is an intergovernmental body created to reduce the impact of tropical cyclones in the Asia-Pacific region through cooperation in meteorology, hydrology, disaster risk reduction, and emergency management. It brings together national meteorological and hydrological services, disaster management agencies, and scientific institutions to coordinate forecasting, research, capacity building, and policy guidance. The committee operates under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the World Meteorological Organization with technical partnerships across regional bodies and national agencies.

History

The committee was established in 1968 following discussions among member states influenced by outcomes from the World Meteorological Congress, the United Nations General Assembly, and regional initiatives linked to the Asian Development Bank and United Nations Development Programme. Early convenings reflected lessons from major events such as Typhoon Sarah (1969), Typhoon Tip (1979), and regional responses shaped by institutions like the Japan Meteorological Agency, China Meteorological Administration, and Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. Cold War era diplomacy affected collaboration between countries such as People's Republic of China, Japan, United States, and Soviet Union proxies in the region; later decades saw expanded cooperation after agreements like the Hyogo Framework for Action and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Influential conferences included sessions connected to the International Conference on Climate Change, the Asian Ministerial Conferences on Disaster Risk Reduction, and meetings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change where tropical cyclone research influenced committee priorities. Prominent member-state initiatives involving Korean Meteorological Administration, Thai Meteorological Department, Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration, and Macau Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau shaped operational standards.

Mandate and Objectives

The committee's mandate aligns with instruments such as the WMO Convention and mandates of the United Nations. Core objectives include improving tropical cyclone warning services, promoting integrated flood and storm-surge management, and enhancing resilience as articulated in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. The committee supports implementation of technical guidelines from entities like the Global Framework for Climate Services and contributes to targets in the Sustainable Development Goals coordinated by the United Nations Development Programme. It seeks to harmonize practices among agencies including the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and regional centers such as the RSMC Tokyo and RSMC New Delhi frameworks for tropical cyclone forecasting.

Membership and Organizational Structure

Membership comprises representatives from national services and ministries of states including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Observers and partners include international organizations such as the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and research centers like the International Pacific Research Center. Governance features a rotating chairmanship, a secretariat supported by ESCAP and WMO regional offices, and subsidiary working groups on forecasting, hydrology, disaster preparedness, and technical cooperation.

Programs and Activities

The committee runs programs addressing early warning, storm-surge modeling, hydrometeorological services, and community preparedness. It coordinates regional pilot projects often funded by multilateral donors such as the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and bilateral agencies including Japan International Cooperation Agency and United States Agency for International Development. Activities include interoperability projects with Global Telecommunication System, regional data-sharing initiatives with Group on Earth Observations, and implementation of standards from the International Organization for Standardization relevant to meteorological services. The committee also liaises with scientific partnerships such as the World Weather Research Programme and operational alliances like the Typhoon Landfall Project and cyclone-resilient infrastructure initiatives tied to the Green Climate Fund.

Research, Forecasting, and Early Warning Systems

Research agendas emphasize numerical weather prediction, ensemble forecasting, climate attribution of tropical cyclones, and coupled ocean–atmosphere modeling. Collaborations involve centers like the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, and academic partners including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, Peking University, University of Tokyo, and National University of Singapore. The committee promotes adoption of best practices from projects such as Doppler radar networks expansion, satellite remote sensing programs from European Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and integrated warning dissemination via platforms like Cell Broadcast and Emergency Alert System analogues. It supports development of storm-surge models influenced by work from NOAA's National Hurricane Center and tsunami-warning linkages studied by Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

Capacity Building and Training

Capacity-building includes workshops, tabletop exercises, and operational exchanges with entities such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and university-led summer schools. Training curricula draw on methodologies from WMO Regional Training Centres, collaborations with the Asian Institute of Technology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, and national civil defense academies. The committee sponsors fellowships, equipment support, and technical missions to strengthen forecasting skills in member services like PAGASA, JMA, CMA, and KMA.

Meetings, Reports, and Publications

Annual sessions, technical symposiums, and working group meetings produce guidance documents, best-practice manuals, and operational bulletins distributed to members and partners including United Nations Development Programme and World Bank. Major outputs include regional typhoon reports, storm-surge guidelines, and post-event assessments used by ministries, institutes like Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and donor agencies. Publications are often cited alongside reports from IPCC, WMO, ESCAP, and national disaster assessments, informing policy dialogues at forums such as the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management and APEC Emergency Preparedness Working Group.

Category:International meteorological organizations