WMO Launches Quality Management Training to Strengthen Climate Services in South America

The training is funded through the ENANDES and ENANDES+ regional projects, which focus on improving climate resilience across South America.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has launched a major regional training initiative aimed at strengthening the quality, reliability, and efficiency of climate services delivered by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) across South America.

The programme focuses on implementing internationally recognized Quality Management Systems (QMS) within climate service operations and is designed to help meteorological institutions improve their operational standards, institutional processes, and climate information delivery.

The training targets member countries of the WMO Regional Association for South America (RA III) and forms part of broader regional efforts to enhance climate resilience and improve preparedness for increasingly complex climate-related challenges.

Regional Training Brings Together South American Experts

The virtual training programme began in May 2026 and will continue through September 2026.

The initiative includes:

• Weekly four-hour training sessions

• Participation from high-level specialists across nine South American countries

• Technical collaboration among National Meteorological and Hydrological Services

The programme aims to strengthen both institutional and technical capacities required for implementing effective Quality Management Systems in climate service operations.

According to the WMO, improving operational quality frameworks is essential for ensuring that weather and climate information remains accurate, reliable, timely, and useful for governments, businesses, and vulnerable communities.

ENANDES and ENANDES+ Projects Support the Initiative

The training is funded through the ENANDES and ENANDES+ regional projects, which focus on improving climate resilience across South America.

These projects promote:

• Scientific knowledge generation

• Climate information dissemination

• Application of climate services

• Regional technical cooperation

• Institutional strengthening

The initiatives are implemented by the World Meteorological Organization with funding support from:

• The Adaptation Fund (AF)

• The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC/COSUDE)

The programme also supports South-South Cooperation through NUREX, the regional expertise hub that facilitates knowledge exchange and technical collaboration among countries in the region.

Collaborative Learning Through Regional Cooperation

In the first session, participants were divided into two working groups to encourage closer collaboration and regionally tailored learning experiences.

The WMO says this structure is intended to:

• Promote peer-to-peer learning

• Facilitate technical cooperation

• Encourage operational knowledge sharing

• Exchange best practices among national agencies

Regional cooperation is considered increasingly important as South American countries face growing climate-related risks including droughts, floods, extreme rainfall, heatwaves, glacier retreat, and water shortages.

Meteorological agencies are under increasing pressure to deliver high-quality climate services that can support disaster preparedness, agriculture, water management, and climate adaptation planning.

Focus on Quality Management Systems

The training programme covers both conceptual and operational aspects of Quality Management Systems for climate services.

Participants are receiving instruction in several core areas, including:

Institutional Diagnostics

Agencies are learning how to evaluate their current operational structures, identify weaknesses, and assess organizational readiness for quality management implementation.

Process Mapping

The programme includes detailed guidance on documenting and standardizing operational workflows involved in climate service delivery.

This helps institutions improve consistency, efficiency, and accountability across departments.

Documentation Frameworks

Participants are being trained in creating structured documentation systems that support operational transparency, traceability, and compliance with international standards.

Continuous Improvement Planning

The course also emphasizes long-term quality improvement strategies designed to help agencies adapt and modernize their services over time.

Continuous improvement is considered a key principle of modern quality management systems.

Supporting International Standards

The WMO says the initiative contributes to its broader global efforts to strengthen climate services through harmonized quality standards aligned with international best practices.

Improved quality management systems are expected to enhance:

• Accuracy of climate information

• Reliability of forecasts

• Operational consistency

• User confidence in climate services

• Institutional accountability

The organization believes standardized quality frameworks will help ensure that climate services remain responsive to the evolving needs of governments, businesses, and communities.

Climate Information Becoming Increasingly Critical

As climate variability and climate change intensify, reliable climate information is becoming essential for decision-making across multiple sectors.

The WMO highlighted that stronger climate service systems can support:

• Agriculture and food security

• Water resource management

• Disaster risk reduction

• Public health planning

• Infrastructure management

• Energy systems

• Environmental protection

Accurate and timely climate information allows governments and communities to better prepare for extreme weather events and long-term climate impacts.

Strengthening South America's Climate Resilience

The implementation of the QMS training reflects growing regional commitment to modernizing meteorological and hydrological services across South America.

The WMO says strengthening institutional capacities and improving operational quality are essential components of broader climate resilience strategies.

By the end of the programme, participating institutions are expected to gain practical tools, methodologies, and operational frameworks that will help them:

• Establish or strengthen Quality Management Systems

• Improve institutional performance

• Deliver more user-centred climate services

• Increase service reliability and efficiency

Officials believe the initiative will ultimately contribute to better-informed decision-making and stronger climate resilience throughout the region.

Long-Term Regional Modernization Efforts Continue

The QMS training initiative forms part of wider modernization efforts being promoted through ENANDES and ENANDES+.

These broader programmes continue to support:

• Technical integration

• Climate service modernization

• Regional knowledge sharing

• Capacity building

• Institutional cooperation

The WMO says ongoing collaboration among South American meteorological agencies will remain critical for addressing the increasing complexity of climate-related challenges in the coming years.