World Agrometeorological Information Service (WAMIS) wamis

1. World Agrometeorological Information Service (WAMIS)www.wamis.org Robert Stefanski Agricultural Meteorology Division Climate Prediction and Adaptation Branch Climate and Water Department

2. Inter-Regional Workshop on Improving Agrometeorological Bulletins • Inter-Regional Workshop on Improving Agrometeorological Bulletins, Bridgetown, Barbados (Oct 2001). • Attended by 25 experts from 21 countries. • Participants developed the concept of a centralized web server for agrometeorological products.

4. Expert Group Meeting on Internet Applications for Agrometeorological Products • Expert Group Meeting on Internet Applications for Agrometeorological Products, Washington, D.C. (May 2002). Attended by 12 experts from 7 countries. • Experts developed a plan to implement a centralized web server to host: • National Agrometeorological Bulletins • Agrometeorological Advisories • Agrometeorological Training Modules

5. Objectives of Expert Group Meeting • To discuss how internet could be used as an effective medium in the presentation and dissemination of improved agrometeorological products; • To evaluate the different tasks involved in creating a dedicated Web Server for Agrometeorological Products (WESAP) from agrometeorological services around the world; • To review and make available on the Internet simple and effective training modules including simple software packages and tools to help the agrometeorological services develop suitable contents for agrometeorological products;

6. Objectives of Expert Group Meeting 2 • To develop guidelines for the agrometeorological services to post routinely their agrometeorological products on the Internet; and • To discuss and develop a monitoring and evaluation tool for obtaining the user feedback on the agrometeorological products to ensure that the service provided on the WESAP is continuously improved and updated for the users.

7. Expert Group Meeting: Working Group on Training Modules • Targeted three audiences for the training modules: • 1st group no opportunity to attend training, no resources (libraries), no products. • 2nd second group producing some products, but has no bulletins, and needs improvement. • 3rd group advanced members who already produce bulletins and products but looking for improvement. • Three types of training modules/tools were identified: those that are already available; those that need to be adapted; and those that need to be developed.

8. Original Project Schedule • Phase I (First Year) • Within one month of signing the contract • Initial Setup of Web Server • Initial Web Site development • Officially Online • Subsequent Months • Web page updates and refinements done by WMO project manager • Addition of simple training modules

9. Original Project Schedule 2 • Phase II (Second Year) • Develop the capability for member countries to start updating bulletins • Development of database capabilities and dynamic web page • Addition of more complex training modules

10. Selection of Hosting Company • Spring and summer of 2003, bids were obtained from 4 companies. • Through the WMO bid selection process, the U.S. based web-hosting company INETU from Allentown, PA was chosen. • Autumn of 2003, INETU developed the website and logo with feedback from the WAMIS Project Manager. http://www.inetu.net/

11. Actual Web Server Specifications • Dedicated web server • FreeBSD Web Server • FreeBSD OS • Intel Celeron Processor 1.7 GHz • Memory (RAM) – 256 MB • Primary Hard Drive – 40 GB IDE • Secondary Hard Drive – 40 GB IDE • Bandwidth per month 15 GB, now unlimited

12. INETU Hosting Services & Features • Redundant Internet Connectivity 6 IP Addresses • 24/7/365 On-Call Support • Level 1 - Active Port Monitoring • 100% Hardware Warranty • Uninterruptible Power (UPS) • Security Patch Updates • Running Extremely Secure & Stable FreeBSD Operating System • Serious Support • $225 per month - $2700 per year

13. Online • December 2003, WAMIS officially went online with products from Peru and the US. • Shortly thereafter, in January 2004, thanks to colleagues from Italy (http://wamis.bo.ibimet.cnr.it) and South Korea (http://www.wamis.net), the WAMIS mirror sites went online.

14. Benefits of WAMIS to Members • WAMIS helps members to disseminate and improve their agro meteorological products. • As a dedicated web server, it allows countries to place their existing agrometeorological bulletins and advisories on a near real-time basis. • Provides tools and resources to help members improve the quality and presentation of their agrometeorological bulletins. • Provides a central location for agrometeorological information so that members can quickly and easily evaluate the various bulletins.

15. Reminder – Keep in Mind • Providing agrometeorological bulletins through the Internet is ONLY ONE DISSEMINATION METHOD for interacting with users. • This does not replace direct interactions with users or using other media (newspaper, radio, TV, etc)

16. www.wamis.org

17. Current Status • As of March 2010, there are products and bulletins from 50 countries and organizations. • Nearly 500,000 visits since the inception of the website in December 2003 and an average of about 15,000 visits are made per month. • WAMIS mirror servers still maintained by Italian Institute of Biometeorology (http://wamis.bo.ibimet.cnr.it) and by NCAM – Republic of Korea (http://www.wamis.net)

18. Current Status 2 • Number of Web Links only = 24 • Number of Actual Bulletins (PDF) = 26 • Received by email = 12 • Accessed by web = 14 • Automatically uploaded = 0

19. Current Status 3 • Regional Distribution of Products and Links • 16 - Africa (Region I) • 5 - Asia (Region II) • 7 - South America (Region III) • 8 - North and Central America (Region IV) • 6 - Southwest Pacific (Region V) • 8 - Europe (Region VI)

20. Currently about 15,000 visits per month

26. Tools and Resources • 19 categories of Tools and Resources with over 77 links. • Climate Forecasts • Data Management • Dissemination • Drought • Feedback • Forestry/Fire GIS • GRADS • Irrigation/Drainage • Natural Disasters • Observations • Online Training • Phenology • Plant/Animal Health • Rainfall Monitoring • Remote Sensing • Soil Erosion • Statistics • Weather/Climate Data

27. Current Issues • Tools and Resources • Resource page for NMHS on Weather and Desert Locusts • At one time, weather data was loaded on viewed • National Progress Report for Agrometeorology (npr.wamis.org) • ISO Search Engine for WMO Information System (WIS) • WAMIS used as PDF storage for WMO Agricultural Meteorology Program

35. Goals of WMO Information System (WIS) • GTS needs to be open to all WMO activities to provide time critical information exchange • Internet should be a part of WIS to allow support of less critical requirements • The continuous improvement and adaptation of new technologies in the GTS should be maintained. • The WIS should be open to more than just WMO programs allowing partners to participate • Need seamless discovery, access and retrieval (DAR) across all WMO systems, including collaborators and partners.

36. WMO Information System (WIS) DCPC NC NC NC/ DCPC Managed, Regional and Internet NC NC/DCPC Communication Networks NC GISC NC GISC GISC NC DCPC DCPC GISC GISC Satellite Dissemination NC NC SatelliteTwo-Way System NC NC On-demand“pull” World Radiation Centre Regional Instrument Centres International Organizations (IAEA, CTBTO, UNEP, FAO.. ) 5 GAW World Data Centres GCOS Data Centres Global Run-off Data Centre IRI and other climate research institutes Universities Regional Climate Centres Commercial Service Providers Internet WMO World Data Centres WAMIS Real-time “push” National Centres (NC) Global Information System Centres (GISC) Data Collection and Production Centres (DCPC) Data communication network

37. ISO Search Engine for WMO Information System (WIS) • Inter-Commission Coordination Group on the WMO Information System (ICG/WIS) – CAgM Representative Byong Lee • First phase: development ISO compatible search engine on WAMIS, enable users to make searches on WAMIS via WIS. • WIS Expert visited KMA in May 2009 • WIS-compliant search interface "GeoNetwork“ was implemented, free, open source, software written primarily in Java. • KMA & WIS expert created metadata for WAMIS links & products, • Development and testing of Geonetwork-based WAMIS metadata search and maintenance Web site continues.

38. Future Projects, Uses and Issues • Use output from CAgM like ET 2.2 on Collection and Evaluation of Operational Agrometeorological Tools and Methodologies (Kenya 2008) • EU Cost Action Pubs • Bibliography from RA III • Brainstorming Meeting • April 2010, Republic of Korea

39. New Technologies • Several information technologies and internet tools have potential to aid the agrometeorolgical community: • Web-based GIS tools, • remote-sensing information, • Online crop model applications, • XML standards for agrometeorological bulletins, • Downscaled model information (gridded evapotransipiration and soil moisture estimates),

40. New Technologies • Numerical Weather Prediction information into agrometeorological models (crop, irrigation, pest/diseases), • Online training and educational modules. • Any others??

41. WAMIS MeetingObjectives • To review the current status and capabilities of WAMIS • To survey the current state-of-the-art information technologies and internet tools that have application to agrometeorology; • To evaluate and identify technologies and tools on their usefulness to global or regional agrometeorological communities and their potential to be hosted on WAMIS; • To make recommendations on potential new WAMIS applications including the development of draft project proposals

42. Future Directions • Improve access and operation of online bulletins • Improve Agrometeorological bulletins for members • Online Applications • Training Modules Any or all of these? Others?

43. Thank You World Meteorological Organization Geneva Switzerland