International Conference on Secure and Sustainable Living: Social and Economic Benefits of Weather, Climate and Water Services

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is holding an international conference in Madrid, Spain, on the social and economic benefits to society of the products and services provided by the meteorological and hydrological community, especially the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and WMO members states. This is being organized with the collaboration and support of the Government of Spain (Ministry of Environment), and with the gracious patronage of Her Majesty Queen Sofia.
The Conference will provide an important occasion for representatives of various sectors of society to describe how the environment impacts them; how weather, climate and water information helps them make decisions and reduce risks; and to outline what changes would be needed to improve decision-making.
It is an opportunity for dialogue -- for the services providers to have a better knowledge about how their products and services are used, and where improvements are needed to increase their value to civil society and the economy; and for users and decision makers to appreciate better the current capabilities, responsibilities and limitations of the various service providers. By bringing together decision-makers, users and service providers, WMO aims to increase further, in view of their growing value and impact, the utility of weather, climate and water knowledge for social and economic benefit.
The main categories of information and services to be considered at the conference are:

Historical climate data and products;
Current information (weather, climate, water, air quality, etc.);
Weather, climate, air quality, hydrological and oceanographic forecasts;
Warning services (for all forms of meteorological, hydrological and oceanographic hazards);
Future human-induced climate change projections and scenarios;
Scientific advice and investigations.