Financing, Operating Models, and Regulatory Frameworks
Box 5.11 Technical Insight: Critical Elements of a Meteorological or Hydrological Law (continued)
• Observations. The law should include provisions on observations, including the requirement that observations to be maintained by entities other than the NMHSs on their behalf (such as ships, aircraft, hydroplants, and cell phone towers). The relevant environs should be protected to ensure unobstructed observations over time. • Forecasts and warnings. The law should provide for forecasting and warnings, and there should be a unified system for issuing them. Only the competent authority—the National Meteorological Service (NMS) or national hydrological service (NHS)—or its subordinate organizations should issue authoritative meteorological and hydrological forecasts and severe weather and water warnings. Specialized forecasts should be issued for government departments. Radio and television stations and designated newspapers should allocate particular time slots or space every day for these forecasts or severe warnings. The NMS should guarantee the quality of the meteorological forecast programs it has prepared. Information technology departments should ensure unblocked meteorological telecommunication. • Radio frequencies. Wireless frequencies and channels designated for meteorological use should be protected from interference. • Revenue generation. The law should be specific about revenue generation, including cost recovery and charges, commercial services, and the retention of revenue generated. It should consider whether revenue generated on the basis of the NMHSs’ information (such as by media that distribute meteorological information) should be used or shared to develop the services. • Meteorological and hydrological disasters. The government should commit to better monitoring and warning systems for meteorological and hydrological disasters, arrange for departments to create plans to prevent them, and take effective measures to increase the capability of preventing them. NMHSs should be authorized to arrange for joint monitoring and forecasting of these events among government departments. NMHSs should also propose timely measures for preventing and assessing the events. • Climate service. The law should provide for climate services and the roles and responsibilities of the NMS and other bodies. The NMS should be responsible for coordinating climate monitoring, analysis, and assessment and for monitoring atmospheric composition that may cause climate deterioration. It should coordinate and arrange for climate feasibility studies related to city planning, key national construction projects, major regional economic development projects, and large projects for exploiting climate resources (such as solar and wind energy). • Legal responsibilities. The law should provide for legal responsibilities—including for the unauthorized issuance of public meteorological forecasts or severe weather warnings, failure to distribute or use the latest authoritative information, and negligence on the part of the staff members responsible for issuing forecasts and warnings. • International treaties and cooperation. The law should conform to international treaties on meteorological activities and should explicitly identify the role of NMHSs in international cooperation.
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