THE Fourth National Climate Outlook Forum (NCOF) is looking to improve dialogue and inter-agency coordination and collaboration to aid decision-making in tackling climate risks, Agriculture Ministry Permanent Secretary Delma Nedd said.

Speaking at the opening of the Hydromet Department forum at the Marriott Hotel, Georgetown, on Thursday, Nedd said the NCOF was introduced to the Hydrometeorological Service through the global network for climate services.

This, Nedd said is a United Nations (UN)-led initiative under the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which guides the development of science-based climate information and services in support of decision- making in climate sensitive sectors.

She explained that the proposed NCOF is a step towards the regular thematic and coordinated process of climate risk management to be held by the Hydromet Service, based on climate information and climate-modelling tools.
The permanent secretary said such a system encompasses a cycle of forecast generation, dissemination, application and evaluation of results.

She added that the fourth NCOF similar to those held in 2016 is expected to tailor climate information for the needs of stakeholders and communicate uncertainties in climate predictions.

Meanwhile, Dr. Garvin Cummings, the Chief Hydrometeorological Officer (ag) said in the third quarter of this year, a water resources bulletin will be issued in addition to other weather-related bulletins.

“While we provide weather services that have a range of seven days and beyond, we also provide climate and seasonal forecasts in the climatology section, somewhere in between the weather services and climate services we provide, there is a gap and we want to attempt to fill that gap,” the hydromet chief said.

He said the agency is working with its partners to enhance national climate services for Guyana.

Dr Cummings challenged those in attendance to speak up on issues and ideas so as to find credible solutions to various issues that are affecting the sector.
Among the stakeholders present were the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC).

The fourth NCOF is expected to guide the Hydrometeorological Service in packaging climate information to meet the needs of stakeholders and to communicate uncertainties associated with the climate predictions for the forthcoming rainfall season.