Department of Meteorology of Sri Lanka will be hosting the Eighth Session of the South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF-8) on 25-26 April 2016.
Climate services develop and provide science-based and user-specific information relating to past, present and potential future climate. They help society cope with climate variability and change. Climate service users include economic, administrative, political and scientific bodies, within and across sectors and disciplines. Information about climate, climate variability and change, and impacts on natural and human systems as well as mitigation and adaptation strategies is tailored to the specific user requirements. The importance of climate services, i.e. providing targeted, tailored, and timely weather and climate information, has gained momentum, but requires improved understanding of user needs.
Purpose of the Water Forum is to bring better synergy between water community and climate community within South Asian countries with the long-term objective of making best use of the climate services and information provided through SASCOF efforts, and otherwise available in the region.
Objectives of the CSUF – Water – 3 are;
• To consider the seasonal climate predictions available for the South Asian Region including the associated implications for water availability and drought;
• To review the regional climatological conditions in 2015 and the associated national water management responses;
• To explore ways to strengthen the use of seasonal monitoring and prediction for water resources management in the region;
• To discuss potential project concepts to demonstrate the utility of scientific advances for sub-seasonal to seasonal water resources management; and
• To explore improvements needed to advance the use of climate information and predictions for water management.
The expected participants include; the Irrigation/Water Managers of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Experts from WMO, Bureau of Meteorology of Australia, Department of Meteorology Sri Lanka, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES), etc. will support the sessions.