HKO enhances meteorological co-operation with ASEAN countries

13 September 2018

The Director of the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), Mr Shun Chi-ming, attended the Second China-ASEAN Meteorological Forum held in Nanning yesterday (September 12). Mr Shun delivered a keynote presentation on the launch of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Global Multi-hazard Alert System for Asia (GMAS-A), jointly developed by the HKO and the China Meteorological Administration, at the forum. On behalf of the HKO, he also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) respectively with the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration (VNMHA) and the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) of Myanmar.

Speaking at the forum, Mr Shun said the GMAS-A (gmas.asia/) is a regional online platform for aggregating weather warnings issued by official weather service organisations in the Asian region to support WMO members in natural disaster prevention and response, and alert the public, travellers and the media to take precautionary measures. The platform also provides weather advisory products and a discussion forum to strengthen co-ordination between WMO members in handling cross-boundary weather events.

On the sidelines of the forum, Mr Shun signed an MoU with the Acting Administrator of the VNMHA, Mr Tran Hong Thai, and an MoC with the Director General of the DMH of Myanmar, Dr Kyaw Moe Oo, to strengthen meteorological collaboration on various aspects including meteorological observations, data exchange, forecasting techniques, service delivery and training.

The Second China-ASEAN Meteorological Forum, held on September 12 and 13, was attended by high-level representatives from meteorological and hydrological services of the Mainland of China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Macao. They discussed regional meteorological co-operation, including meteorological instruments and observations, meteorological disaster preparedness and risk management, aviation meteorological services, climate services, research, training and education.

Figure 1.  The Director of the Hong Kong Observatory, Mr Shun Chi-ming (back row, third right), is pictured with other high-level representatives from meteorological and hydrological services at the Second China-ASEAN Meteorological Forum held in Nanning yesterday (September 12).

Figure 2.  The Director of the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), Mr Shun Chi-ming, attended the Second China-ASEAN Meteorological Forum held in Nanning yesterday (September 12). Picture shows Mr Shun delivering a keynote presentation on the launch of the World Meteorological Organization Global Multi-hazard Alert System for Asia, jointly developed by the HKO and the China Meteorological Administration, at the forum.

Figure 3.  The Director of the Hong Kong Observatory, Mr Shun Chi-ming (right), attended the Second China-ASEAN Meteorological Forum held in Nanning yesterday (September 12) and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Acting Administrator of the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration, Mr Tran Hong Thai (left), on the sidelines of the forum.

Figure 4.  The Director of the Hong Kong Observatory, Mr Shun Chi-ming (right), attended the Second China-ASEAN Meteorological Forum held in Nanning yesterday (September 12) and signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Director General of the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology of Myanmar, Dr Kyaw Moe Oo (left), on the sidelines of the forum.