Parliament Question: Strengthening Climate Monitoring and Weather Forecasting Systems

Why in news

The government has outlined measures taken to enhance climate monitoring and weather forecasting systems, including the adoption of advanced technologies and the expansion of observational networks, in response to rising extreme weather events.

Exam relevance

GS3 · Environment & Ecology, Science & Technology, Governance · Prelims · Mains

Key facts

1. Government is strengthening climate monitoring and weather forecasting systems due to increasing extreme weather events.
2. Advanced techniques like high-performance computing (HPC) are being used for numerical weather prediction (NWP) and climate modeling.
3. Artificial intelligence-enabled forecasting tools are being adopted.
4. Ministry of Earth Sciences operates a weather observation network including manual observatories, AWSs, ARGs, Agro-AWS, DWRs, upper-air observatories, and satellites.
5. Mission Mausam operationalizes global and regional NWP modeling systems for short, medium, and extended-range forecasts.
6. Global modeling systems include IMD's Global Forecast System (GFS) and NCMRWF's Mithuna-FS.

Prelims pointers

• The Ministry of Earth Sciences is responsible for climate monitoring and weather forecasting in India.
• Key components of the weather observation network include Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs) and satellites.
• Mission Mausam focuses on implementing NWP modeling systems for various forecast ranges.
• High-Performance Computing (HPC) facilities support high-resolution numerical weather prediction.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being integrated into forecasting tools.

Mains practice question

Discuss the significance of strengthening climate monitoring and weather forecasting systems in India, particularly in the context of increasing extreme weather events. What technological advancements are being employed to achieve this?

Static linkage

The article relates to India's efforts in climate science, disaster management, and the role of scientific ministries like the Ministry of Earth Sciences in national development and security. It touches upon the importance of meteorological data and forecasting for agriculture, disaster preparedness, and economic planning.

Significance

Strengthening climate monitoring and weather forecasting is crucial for India, given its vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather events. Improved accuracy in predictions can aid in disaster preparedness, reduce economic losses, support agricultural planning, and inform policy decisions related to climate adaptation and mitigation. The adoption of advanced technologies like HPC and AI signifies a move towards more sophisticated and reliable forecasting capabilities.