Taking the opportunity of the World Meteorological Day this year, I would like to deliver a short message in line with this year’s theme “Weather-ready, Climate-smart.”

There is increased concern that, as climate change progresses, weather- and water-related disasters may occur more frequently and with increased severity. WMO and its Members set priority on protecting life, livelihood and property from natural disasters and focus effort on providing services from daily weather forecasts to future climate projections in order to contribute to build more resilient and robust society.

I recognize a need to envision and build public disaster awareness based on a shared understanding that major hazards are inevitable and that proactive efforts to mitigate the effects of various disasters are needed throughout the public domain under the Japanese concept of Bosai Awareness Society. Here, Bosai is a Japanese word which means disaster prevention and mitigation. Toward Bosai awareness Society, JMA makes effort on timely and effective provision of impact-based forecasting and risk-based warnings and remains committed to collaboration with DRR relevant organizations to further enhance community-based resilience.

As the Permanent Representative with WMO of one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, I believe that Japanese expertise and knowledge on Bosai achieved in the long years will surely contribute to the development of world meteorological services promoted in the framework of WMO.