3.7.1 Introduction
The need for collaboration between hydrological and meteorological services has been stressed by the World Meteorological Organization for many years and the establishment by W M O of the only operational global system for the collection, transmission and pro- cessing of data, the World Weather Watch (WWW), offers a unique opportunity for benefiting from such collaboration on a wide scale.
The potential value of the WWW to hydrology and water resources is very great and consideration has been given to this within WMO for a number of years. In 1967 a report was prepared by Bruce and NBmec (WMO, 1967) which dealt specifically with this subject and in 1968 the Commission for Hydrology appointed a working group on hydrological aspects of the W W W .
The chairman of this working group presented a very full report to the WMO Technical Conference of Hydrological and Meteorological Services, Geneva 1970, on the basis of which the Conference adopted a number of recommendations of both a technical and organizational nature (WMO, 1970). A further detailed report on this subject is being published by W M O which provides much valuable material for use when considering not only the WWW but also the establishment of hydrological data transmission and pro- cessing systems in general.
A brief review of the WWW and its implications for water information systems is given below and the reader is referred to the above WMO publications for additional infor- mation.
3.7.2 World Weather Watch
The World Meteorological Organization co-ordinates, standardizes, and assists in the improvements of activities conducted by meteorological, hydrometeorological, and related hydrological services throughout the world and encourages research and training. T o this end considerable effort has always been made to improve hydrometeorological observa- tional networks, instruments, telecommunication, and data processing. The WWW is a new world weather information system which is now being progressively developed and implemented (WMO, 1971). The objective is to ensure that modern scientific and techno- logical advances, such as artificial satellites and electronic computers, are utilized to the maximum to improve our knowledge of atmospheric processes and to make available the benefits of the system to all countries.
The WWW willensure that all Member States of WMO obtain the weather information needed for their operational forecasting and research purposes. For operational work the information must be received in a timely and co-ordinated fashion; for research purposes it must be readily accessible in convenient forms. Essential elements of the WWW include:
1. The global observing system-the observational networks and other observational facilities;
2. The global data processing system-the meteorological centres and the arrangements for the processing, storage, and retrieval of data;
3. Global telecommunication system-the telecommunication facilities and arrangements necessary for the rapid exchange of the observations and the processed data;
4. The research programme.
3.7.3
The operational data systems of WWW are flexible and capable of expansion to meet certain needs of member countries for hydrological information. Exchange of data is not confined to meteorological data, some of which are used in hydrology, but may and do, include hydrological data (primarily river stage and flood forecasts).
Hydrological services both meteorological and hydrological observational data for day-to-day operations, particularly streamflow forecasting, and for research purposes leading to advice on such matters as flood mitigation and water resources development.
The interrelationships between meteorology and hydrology emphasize the need for common data handling procedures for the two types of data. Not only is there this need to meet international and national requirements for data, but the need exists also for improved regional and international evaluations of the quality of the environment.
The WWW has evaluated and suggested the meteorological data that should be per- manently stored at its various centres. The data will be available for research investigations of meteorological phenomena on a greater-than-national scale. Possible advantages of storage of hydrological data at these centres willalso be considered. In the case of coun- tries with separate meteorological and hydrological services, the collection and storage of hydrological data by these centres would be facilitated by some such link-up as envisaged in section 3.6.
Finally, it may be appropriate to mention the possibility of carrying out certain analyses of hydrometeorological data at WWW centres. While starting as part of research projects, these analyses might ultimately become operational if their value in hydrological fore- casting can be demonstrated. Suggested examples are the analyses of precipitation and evapotranspiration for continental drought studies and the determination of atmospheric moisture transport for water balance studies.
Hydrological data and the World Weather Watch
Examples of systems adapted to diflerent countries
References
CLEARY, Edward J. 1967. ORSANCO story, water guality management in Ohio Valley under an interstate compact. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Press.
ISHERWOOD, W1. 1969. Final Report- W M O / U N D P / S p e e i a l Fund Project ‘Hydrometeorological survey of the catchments of the Lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Alberta’. Entebbe, W M O . 38 p., App. A to H, 6 figs.
Doklady uEastnikov seminara PO obmenu opytom v oblasti ispol’zovanija sredstv mehanizacii i vytislitel’noj tehniki v sisteme obrabotki i hranenija gidrologiteskoj informacii (23-27 ijunja 1970 g., g. Moskva). SoveSEanie rukovoditelej vodohozjajstvennyh organov stran-Elenov SEV.
Moskva, 1971. [Reports of participants in the seminar for the exchange of experience in the use of mechanical equipment and computer technology in the processing and storage of hydro- logical information (23-27 June 1970, Moscow). Meeting of heads of water resource manage- ment bodies of CMEA member countries. Moscow, 1971.1
SHARP, R. G.; HARDING, J. 1971. Hydrometeorological data processing in the United Kingdom.
In: Scientific papers presented at the Technical Conference of Hydrological and Meteorological Services, Geneva, 1970. Geneva, W M O . (WMO, no. 304.)
WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION. 1961. World Weather Watch: the plan and implenien- tation programme. Geneva, W M O .
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