World Meteorological Organization and Agricultural Droughts - Monitoring and Predicting Agricultural Drought: A Global Study - page 408

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W orld Hydrological Cycle Observing System

The World Hydrological Cycle Observing System (WHYCOS) was devel-
oped to improve understanding of the status of water resources at a global
scale, which is critical to monitoring agricultural droughts. Composed
of regional systems implemented by cooperating nations, WHYCOS will
complement national efforts to provide information required for wise wa-
ter resource management. Modeled on WMO's World Weather Watch and
using the same information and telecommunications technology, WHY-
COS will provide a vehicle not only for disseminating high-quality infor-
mation, but also for promoting international collaboration. It will build the
capacity of National Hydrological Services so that they are ready to face the
demands of the 21st century. It will provide a means for the international
community to monitor water resources more accurately at the global level
and to understand the global hydrological cycle.

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Su pport to Regional Institutions

In 1972, the worsening drought situation in the Sahelian Zone prompted
WMO to appoint a consultant to conduct a survey in the area, followed by
a group mission of experts, supported by UNDP, to study and recommend
further action to strengthen the Meteorological, Agrometeorological and
Hydrometeorological Services in the countries concerned. Recommenda-
tions of this group led to the formation of the Regional Centre for Agricul-
tural Meteorology and Hydrology (AGRHYMET) in Niamey, Niger.
In the late 1970s and 1980s, droughts caused widespread famine and
economic hardships in many countries in eastern and southern Africa. At
the request of 24 countries in these regions, in 1989 WMO established two
Drought Monitoring Centres (DMCs) in Nairobi, Kenya (chapter 18), and
Harare, Zimbabwe, with support from UNDP. WMO, along with the Eco-
nomic Commission for Africa, sponsored the establishment of the African
Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD) in Ni-
amey, Niger, in 1993. ACMAD is the focal point in fostering regional co-
operation among the 53 African countries with the rest of the world in
climate and environmental concerns with regard to sustainable social and
economic development. The center coordinates the activities of the NMHSs
of these countries in applying meteorological and hydrological information
to important social and economic sectors, such as food production, water
resource management, cash crops, pest control, and health. In addition,
ACMAD provides operational products such as forecasts and early warn-
ings to extreme climatic occurrences like drought and floods and assists in
reducing their adverse impacts in Africa.
Given the importance of the interactions between climate and deserti-
fication, WMO has accorded a major priority to this area, and its action
plan to combat desertification was first adopted in 1978 at the 30th session
of the executive council of WMO and has gone through several revisions.

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