Bahamas Meteorology Statement on World Met Day

World Meteorological Day

Every March 23rd National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) who are members of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) celebrate World Meteorological Day! This day commemorates the coming into existence of the WMO Convention on the 23rd March 1950. The WMO is a specialized agency established by the United Nations. The agency is made up of 187 member states and 6 member territories around the world that protect lives, livelihoods, and property, thereby supporting the global agenda on sustainable development, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk reduction.

Each year on World Met Day there is a theme chosen to highlight the event. This year the theme chosen is “The Ocean, Our Climate, and Weather”. It celebrates WMO’s focus in connecting the ocean, climate, and weather within the Earth System. It also marks the starting year of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). The Decade galvanizes efforts to gather ocean science – through innovative and transformative ideas - as the basis of information to support sustainable development.

WMO, as the United Nations specialized agency for climate, weather, and water, strives to support understanding the inextricable link between ocean, climate, and weather. This helps us understand the world in which we live, including the impacts of climate change, and to help Members to strengthen their ability to keep lives and property safe – reducing the risk of disaster – and to maintain viable economies.

The Bahamas is an archipelagic country that is surrounded by some 100,000 square miles of water. Our waters are some of the most pristine, and beautiful in the western hemisphere. Tourists come from around the world, both near and far to enjoy our waters. Bahamian fishermen make their living from sea products such as conch, spiny lobster, and scale fish. The seafloor is also unique as it accumulates beautiful oolitic sand and other minerals. Much of the ocean remains unexplored and perhaps holds the secrets of future medical cures for

diseases such as cancer. There is also a connection of the ocean to the weather and climate, that requires much more research for scientists to understand. The Bahamas with this vast water resource has the potential, if reseached properly to provide the answers to future problems. We need to continue to protect and conserve our waters so we can better understand our weather and climate in the future, thus protecting our lives, livelihood and property.

By Geoffrey Greene
Chief Meteorological Officer
For more information please go to
https://public.wmo.int/en/resources/world-meteorological-day/wmd-2021-the-ocean-our-climate-and-weather