The United Nations bodies responsible for meteorological and maritime affairs have underscored the link between maritime safety and climate change, calling for stronger collaboration to address extreme weather at sea.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are hosting a symposium on extreme maritime weather in London (23-26 September), bringing together the meteorology, oceanography (metocean) and maritime communities to work together on finding solutions to this challenge.

Opening the event, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez emphasized the importance of safety to IMO’s core mandate. He said: “Everything we do to enhance maritime safety has a positive added value to the environmental regulations that we adopt and implement through the IMO.”

WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ms. Ko Barrett highlighted the impacts of climate change on the maritime sector, including sea level rise effects on ports, increasingly intense cyclones which pose a major hazard to seafarers, and warming in the polar regions reducing Arctic Sea ice. This can open new sea lanes, exposing sensitive regions and increasing the risk of marine environmental emergencies. 

“Climate change affects maritime operations, whether at sea or in harbours and ports…. It is vitally important that WMO and meteorological services work closely with the IMO and the maritime community to meet joint challenges and to improve efficiency and safety,” she added.   

In such an environment, the importance of maritime observations, forecasting and early warning systems cannot be overstated. In her keynote address, Captain Radhika Menon, Recipient of the 2016 IMO Bravery Award, recalled a rescue operation where fishers almost lost their lives due to a delayed weather warning.

“Maritime weather is inherently unpredictable, which makes accurate forecasting not just a necessity, but a lifesaver,” she said.

UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean, Ambassador Peter Thomson from Fiji, applauded the symposium for tackling climate and ocean issues, particularly in the context of the UN Decade of Ocean Science (2021-2030).

Key focus areas

Panel discussions over the coming days will bring together world-leading experts to discuss progress since the WMO-IMO’s first symposium on extreme maritime weather held in 2019. The first symposium identified key focus areas, including:

  • Collaboration across communities
  • Knowledge opportunities for seafarers and forecasters
  • Observations and data collection
  • Dissemination of early warnings and forecasts
  • Meeting seafarers’ needs via metocean products and services

This week’s symposium will aim to strengthen collaboration between the metocean forecasters and the maritime industry, share knowledge, and bridge the gaps identified. Discussions will highlight the importance of communication between stakeholders, as well as training and capacity building for both seafarers and on-shore staff to ensure mariners avoid extreme weather at sea and minimize damage to ships, cargo, and the environment.