UK Met Office and BBC Media Action Gather Meteorology and Media Experts from Palestine, Jordan, and Syria as Part of the WISER Project

Amman - Afaq News - Regional activities have launched in the Jordanian capital, Amman, gathering meteorology, media, and communication experts from Palestine, Jordan, and Syria, organized by BBC Media Action and the UK Met Office, with support from the UK International Development, part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), under the WISER – Weather and Climate Information Services program.

The meeting aims to enhance cooperation between meteorological institutions and media outlets, and to develop more effective methods for translating forecasts, warnings, and specialized climate information into clear, accurate, and understandable messages for the public, contributing to improved early preparedness for extreme weather phenomena and reducing their impacts on populations and livelihoods.

The first session featured welcoming remarks from Raed Rafeed Al-Khatab, Director of the Jordan Meteorological Department, Abigail Odat, representative of the UK Met Office, and Khadija Mu'alij, project manager at BBC Media Action, who welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of dialogue and cooperation between scientific and media institutions in developing weather and climate services and effectively reaching the public.

Al-Khatab welcomed participants from Palestine, Syria, and Jordan, pointing out the importance of exchanging experiences and enhancing regional cooperation in the meteorological sector, especially in light of the increasing impacts of weather and climate phenomena and the need for effective monitoring, warning, and communication systems with citizens.

Al-Khatab holds the position of Director of the Jordan Meteorological Department, which plays an official role in issuing weather bulletins and warnings and providing various institutions with the necessary information to prepare for weather conditions.

In her welcoming speech, Abigail Odat emphasized the importance of the WISER program and the collaboration between the participating institutions in developing weather and climate information services, while Khadija Mua'j emphasized the important role that media plays in conveying specialized information to the public and building more sustainable bridges of cooperation between meteorology experts, journalists, and media institutions.

The meeting includes representatives from the Palestinian, Jordanian, and Syrian meteorological services, along with journalists and specialists in communication and humanitarian work, as part of discussions and training focused on how to present weather and climate information in a way that helps individuals and institutions make early and more informed decisions.

The events also feature Raed Othman, the General Director of the Together Network, as part of a discussion on the role of media institutions in early warning systems and how to benefit from the wide reach of media and digital platforms in conveying warnings and weather information to citizens, especially the most vulnerable groups and areas at risk.

The sessions discuss the gap that may arise between specialized scientific information and the way it reaches the citizen, as the accuracy of weather forecasting alone is not sufficient to achieve the desired goal unless the information reaches in a timely manner and in a way that can be understood and acted upon.

In this context, the meeting focuses on developing the relationship between meteorology experts and journalists, how to read and simplify scientific data and forecasts without compromising their accuracy, as well as formulating media messages that help the public understand the magnitude of the risk and what actions to take before and during severe weather phenomena.

From "What will the weather be like?" to "What will the weather do?"

This approach is part of a broader philosophy adopted by the WISER MENA program, which shifts from merely answering the question "What will the weather be like?" to understanding "What will the weather do?"—focusing on the expected impacts of weather changes and phenomena and what proactive measures can be taken to reduce losses.

Since 2015, the WISER program has been working to improve the quality of weather and climate information and services, their accessibility, and their use in decision-making, led by the UK Met Office with support from the UK government. The program expanded in 2022 to the Middle East and North Africa through WISER MENA.

The Middle East and North Africa region faces multiple risks including extreme heat waves, droughts, and floods, while conflicts and fragile humanitarian and economic situations exacerbate communities' ability to cope with these phenomena, making early warning systems and access to reliable and timely information more critical.

WISER MENA specifically focuses on supporting humanitarian and national institutions in integrating weather and climate forecasts and warnings into decision-making processes, so that actions can be taken before hazardous phenomena occur rather than waiting for them to happen and then dealing with their consequences.

In Jordan, the program also supports the development of meteorological management capabilities and enhances Impact-Based Forecasting skills, which focus on the potential outcomes of weather phenomena on people, facilities, and services, rather than just describing the weather conditions themselves.

Media is part of the early warning system.

The meeting places media in a position that goes beyond merely transmitting the weather bulletin, as it is part of the early warning system. An accurate media message delivered in a timely manner can directly influence individuals' decisions; whether to avoid a flood-prone area, protect crops, prepare for a heatwave or cold snap, or for institutions to take early preventive measures.

From here comes the importance of collaboration between BBC Media Action, the Met Office, and national meteorological institutions, in order to combine scientific knowledge on one hand, and media expertise and the ability to reach the audience on the other.

The meeting also provides an opportunity for experts and media professionals from Palestine, Jordan, and Syria to exchange experiences between countries facing different challenges, yet sharing the need for reliable weather information and communication means capable of transforming this information into actions that people can understand and benefit from.

The events ultimately aim to develop a more integrated model of work between meteorology, media, humanitarian institutions, and local communities, so that climate information and forecasts do not remain within specialized institutions, but rather transform into practical knowledge that reaches citizens and helps protect lives and property, as well as enhance the ability of communities to face increasing climate risks.