1st meeting of the WMO Expert Team on Waves, Coastal Hazards and Marine Emergency Response (ET-WCHMER-1)
The first meeting of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Expert Team on Waves, Coastal Hazards and Marine Emergency Response (ET-WCHMER-1) took place from March 17 to 19, 2025, at the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Headquarters in Tokyo with 11 representatives in person and 5 online.
The team supports marine work at National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), including capacity development and linkage of regional frameworks related to marine and coastal hazards. Focus is also placed on socio-economic benefits (the Blue Economy) and elsewhere.
The primary objective of the meeting was to create a detailed activity plan for the intersessional period up to 2027. The event was chaired by Mr Nadao Kohno with support from Vice-Chairs Dr Diana Greenslade and Dr Øyvind Breivik, and WMO Secretariat Dr Zhichao Wang, with discussions on specific directions in diverse areas. Key points included revision of the WMO Storm Surge Guide, guidance on weather-driven long waves (meteotsunamis), and support for ongoing work in areas such as the Coordinated Ocean Wave Climate Project (COWCLiP) and the Surge Model Intercomparison and Surge Climate Project (SurgeMIP). Other content involved the Coastal Inundation Forecast Initiative (CIFI) for contribution to Early Warning for ALL (EW4ALL) initiatives, perspectives on MER activities including development of training materials, and enhancement of marine-related Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC). Contribution to the Blue Economy and cataloging of marine hazards in line with WMO work were also discussed.
The meeting produced constructive action plans relating to these matters, with progress to be discussed at the next gathering in September 2025.
JMA was honored to host such a significant event, and remains committed to enhancing worldwide marine meteorological services based on its extensive expertise in RSMC roles etc.
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Introduction by Naotaka Hiraishi, Director, JMA Atmospheric Environment and Ocean Division |
(L - R) Dr Øyvind Breivik, Dr Diana Greenslade, Mr Nadao Kohno |