Viet Nam to host WMO international conference

The Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is hosting the conference. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)’s decision to hold its 2026 meeting in Viet Nam underscores the country’s meteorological and hydrological sector’s international standing, credibility, and active contributions.

The meeting comes as an El Niño event has officially developed and is forecast to reach very strong intensity, raising the risk of record-breaking heatwaves and extreme weather events worldwide.

According to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on assessing the risk of water shortages caused by El Niño and proposing response measures to ensure water supplies for daily use and socio-economic activities in 2027, while contributing to food and energy security, the rapid development of El Niño in Viet Nam will pose major challenges to water, food and energy security, as well as public safety.

This requires stronger forecasting and early warning systems to shift from passive response to proactive risk management and early prevention, enabling more effective responses to natural disasters.

Leading experts in hazardous weather forecasting

Against the backdrop of increasingly complex climate challenges, this year’s meeting of the WMO Advisory Group on Hazardous Weather Forecasting will bring together 30 leading scientists and experts from around the world.

The group includes 16 international delegates from the WMO Secretariat and representatives of meteorological and hydrological agencies from 13 countries across different continents, including the United States, France, Russia, South Africa, India, New Zealand, Indonesia, Senegal, Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, Costa Rica, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Over four days, the meeting will discuss technical directions and global coordination mechanisms to improve hazardous weather forecasting services.

A key focus will be reviewing and expanding WMO’s Severe Weather Forecasting Programme (SWFP), which directly contributes to the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative promoted by the United Nations and WMO. The initiative aims to ensure that everyone worldwide is protected by early warning systems against natural disasters.

Discussions on these mechanisms will help shape how countries coordinate, share data, and support one another during emergencies caused by natural disasters.

Beyond traditional forecasting methods, the meeting will provide an important forum for scientists to share breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, and the development of global numerical weather prediction models.

A major shift is underway from simply forecasting weather phenomena to impact-based forecasting and risk-based warnings. This approach turns complex meteorological data into practical, easy-to-understand information for the public and decision-makers.

Such information will directly support agricultural production, the safety of dykes and reservoirs, and, most importantly, the protection of people’s livelihoods and lives from extreme events such as major storms, severe heatwaves, and flash floods.

Showcasing Viet Nam’s monitoring and forecasting capabilities

As part of the conference, Viet Nam will organize field visits to several key meteorological and hydrological stations in Ha Noi. International delegates will learn about Viet Nam’s monitoring network, technical infrastructure, technologies, and data collection, processing, and utilization procedures for disaster forecasting and early warning.

Through professional sessions and field visits, the conference will facilitate scientific and technical exchanges while strengthening cooperation between Viet Nam, the WMO, and meteorological and hydrological agencies worldwide. It will also provide an opportunity for Viet Nam to share its experience and achievements in modernizing its monitoring network, advancing digital transformation, and applying new technologies in meteorology and hydrology.