IWMI and World Meteorological Organization partner to strengthen climate resilience through data, innovation and early action
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The partnership will integrate climate data with water management solutions to help vulnerable communities in Africa and Asia anticipate and respond to extreme weather events.
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen global cooperation on early warning systems and climate-resilient water management across vulnerable regions of Africa and Asia. The agreement will enhance the provision and use of climate services in agriculture while supporting greater resilience and climate adaptation.
The MoU was signed by Celeste Saulo, secretary general of WMO and Mark Smith, IWMI’s director general. The 5-year agreement comes at a critical time when climate extremes such as Cyclone Ditwah, the floods in Pakistan and severe drought in Africa highlight the urgent need for coordinated responses to flood and drought management. In many vulnerable regions, existing infrastructure remains ill-equipped to withstand climate shocks.
“With increasing extreme weather, water and climate-related events worldwide, the collaboration with IWMI is important to help countries be more prepared, especially through advancing the Early Warnings for All initiative. This MoU will promote strategic partnership and collaboration on emerging technologies and tools and services,” said Saulo.
Data-driven solutions to protect lives, livelihoods and ecosystems in a changing climate
WMO and IWMI will collaborate across five key areas to strengthen global climate and water resilience. The partnership will advance climate and water data integration for disaster risk reduction by bridging climate and hydrological science with applied water solutions, enabling countries to move from early warning to early action. The collaboration will also integrate socio-economic research into climate services and scale emerging technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for early warning systems. It will strengthen national capacities through joint projects, training and policy support, while opening pathways for coordinated engagement with global initiatives such as Early Warning for All. The partnership will further mobilize climate finance to deliver investment-ready, locally relevant solutions for climate adaptation and disaster risk management.
“Through this MoU, IWMI will work closely with the World Meteorological Organization to strengthen preparedness for floods, droughts and water scarcity by leveraging early warning systems, innovative technologies, tools and applied research,” added Smith.
The signing brought together IWMI’s management, representatives from WMO alongside key partners and stakeholders committed to advancing climate resilience, early warning systems and climate-smart water management.
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ABOUT IWMI
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is an international, research-for-development organization that works with governments, civil society and the private sector to solve water problems in developing countries and scale up solutions. Through partnership, IWMI combines research on the sustainable use of water and land resources, knowledge services and products with capacity strengthening, dialogue and policy analysis to support implementation of water management solutions for agriculture, ecosystems, climate change and inclusive economic growth. Headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, IWMI is a CGIAR Research Center with offices in 15 countries and a global network of scientists operating in more than 55 countries. www.iwmi.org
ABOUT WMO
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that works with national meteorological, hydrological and climate services to enable the production, exchange and application of weather, climate, water and environmental information worldwide. Through global observing systems, data exchange, scientific research and operational coordination, WMO supports countries to protect lives and livelihoods, strengthen early warning systems, enhance climate resilience, and promote sustainable development.
WMO provides the international framework for weather forecasting, climate services, hydrological monitoring and disaster risk reduction, ensuring that authoritative, science-based information flows seamlessly across borders. Its work underpins global initiatives such as Early Warnings for All, climate adaptation, water security, food security and disaster preparedness.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, WMO brings together 193 Member States and Territories, serving as the backbone of the global meteorological and hydrological community and enabling countries—especially the most vulnerable—to anticipate, prepare for and respond to climate and weather extremes. www.wmo.int