Fair Weather: Effective Partnerships in Weather and Climate Services

Weather and climate directly affect economies around the world and the health and safety of populations globally. Weather-related damages run into billions every year, yet billions more are saved by taking action based on improved forecasting, warnings and other weather services. It is important, particularly in this era of changing climates and populations on the move, that we have the best weather and climate information available, to prevent disaster. Fair Weather is a scientific report based on America’s weather and climate services and the interactions between them, yet it produces recommendations that should prove useful to all countries. Predicting and taking action in preparation of climatic changes involves three main sectors: a country’s national weather service, met office or other government-owned bureau; academia - responsible for advancing the science of meteorology and educating those working within it; the private sector, including weather companies, private consultants and broadcast meteorologists. Fair Weather examines the roles of each of these three sectors and identifies their strengths, the roles they should ideally play and the effects they have. In particular, it makes recommendations on the strengthening of public-private partnerships and combining the different motivations of the sectors for the good of all.