10th Climate Forum Brings Together Key Stakeholders

The National Meteorological Service held its tenth National Climate Outlook Forum today in Belize City. The forum highlighted key messages and presentations from local, regional and international agencies on the provision of climate information and services. It also included presentations from meteorologists and climatologists at the National Meteorological Service on the rainfall and temperatures forecasted for the remainder of the rainy season.

Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development, Disaster Risk Management

Orlando Habet

“This is the tenth climate forum that is organized by the Met Service and certainly on a daily basis we get our weather reports, but it is absolutely important for the forum to inform the stakeholders of not only the seasonal weather forecast, but also what is happening currently and what can be forecasted for the near future. So, while  it is important for the general public, some of the important stakeholders here today have representation, from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health, even the Blue Economy and the staff from Sustainable Development and other areas, because it is so important on a national basis. The information that is going to be presented, we will look at those seasonal forecasts, but certainly the daily events and what is coming here. Right now we are experiencing some extreme weathers with some rains that are currently going to be here for the next few days. In terms of productive for agriculture it is extremely important. People need to know when it is time to prepare their land, when it is time to plant, when it is time for harvesting. So it is absolutely important. What is also important is the collaboration from stakeholders because sometimes information has to come, not only from Met office and the Climatological Services to the public but also from the stakeholders back to them so that they can be also is able to inform. So a lot of it is collaboration and coordination among the favor stakeholders, with the Department .”

Ronald Gordon

Ronald Gordon, Chief Meteorologist, National Meteorological Service

“The presentation that I personally will be delivering is on the activity for this year, the hurricane season and the prediction is for it to be an above normal season. So, we do hope that our stakeholders, whether it be in agriculture, disaster risk management, energy and so on will take that information and have their plans, their contingency in place in case there is a storm coming our way this particular season.”