The Expert Team on Waves, Coastal Hazards and Marine Emergency Response (ET-WCHMER) will support the WMO requirements and those of partners like the IOC, IMO, and UNDRR. They will use their expertise and, when appropriate, undertake specific, measurable, and achievable time-limited projects to meet these requirements. The key activities that ET-WCHMER participates in include the following:
- In support of coastal and marine-related hazards in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), including Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS), the ET-WCHMER will continue developing the Coastal Inundation Forecasting Initiative (CIFI), strengthen support for Members establishing MHEWS, and provide technical advice on wind, wave, storm surge, and other marine sources of inundation.
- They will also offer advice and recommendations on ocean wave, coastal, and marine hazards, supporting global wave climate initiatives and storm surge climate projection efforts.
- For Marine Environmental Emergency Response (MEER) and Search and Rescue (SAR) services, the team will develop technical advice on Marine Emergency Response (MER) information services, monitor the implementation of the WMO Integrated Processing and Prediction System (WIPPS) Specialized Centres for MER, and liaise with relevant groups to improve maritime accident emergency support.
- They will also ensure feedback from user communities to improve service relevance and quality and coordinate with organizations like IMO and IAEA to enhance MER support.
- In providing effective marine information services, the ET-WCHMER will review the long-term effects of changes in the marine coastal environment, promote enhanced marine information services contributing to the Blue Economy, and keep WMO Manuals and Guides under review, revising them as required.
The term of this Expert Team will be until 2027, after which the Terms of Reference, Chairs, Vice-Chair/s, and Membership will be refreshed. Secretariat support is provided by the WMO Marine Services Division.
The complete terms of reference can be accessed in HERE
