In every area of endeavor, volunteers represent a tangible demonstration of the international community’s commitment to development. International volunteers are working in education, agriculture, information technology, governance and health alongside their Guyanese colleagues to support them in their aspirations for development. This is a two-way commitment. Guyana receives volunteer support, but also provides volunteers to assist countries in need of their work. Guyana has its own volunteers working through the United Nations Volunteers system, that go abroad to help development, and gain important experience that will serve Guyana well on their return home. In Guyana, our national United Nations Volunteer scheme has taken off: young men and women from Guyana who are working to help development in Guyana.

Volunteerism is development of the people, by the people and for the people. It is the human face of all our declarations. As Secretary- General Kofi Annan said: “ volunteerism is the ultimate expression of what the United Nations is all about”.

As we start the International Year of Volunteers, I salute all volunteers working in Guyana and for Guyana. We are proud of you."

On this occasion of IYV I wish to encourage everyone – both the international volunteer organizations in Guyana and, importantly our own local NGOs, Community based organizations, youth groups, charitable organizations and the private sector to participate in IYV 2001.

You may be offering your talents toward social and developmental work in your communities or you may be serving your church, temple or mosque. Let us not underrate the value of these contributions, for it is often these actions, which bring out the best in persons and lead to the formation of a caring society. IYV 2001 is for everyone.

I wish all international and local volunteer organizations as well as community groups and NGOs a successful celebration of IYV 2001 and urge each and every Guyanese to get involved now."

  No history of meteorology would be complete without reference to  voluntary and cooperative observers. Since the very early days of  their sciences, meteorologists and hydrologists around the world  have been assisted, especially in their operational work, by networks  of volunteers. The activities of the volunteers range from activities  such as carrying out rainfall observations to taking responsibility for  entire synoptic, climatological or agrometeorological stations, and to  the promotion of the sciences. In most countries, the contributions  from such volunteers are integrated within the activities of NMHSs.  Such contributions find applications in weather-sensitive sectors  such as agriculture, water-resources management, aviation and  shipping. 

  The individual volunteers, irrespective of their professional activities  and training, are all united in their common fascination with  meteorological and hydrological phenomena. Perseverance and  commitment are two of the most common personal characteristics of  volunteers. It is not uncommon to come across volunteers with more  than 50 years of service, or individuals forming part of the second or  third generation of volunteers. 

  Some NMHSs have specialized units to deal with volunteers in  general. Extending a long tradition of amateur science, some  enthusiastic volunteers appear to be indistinguishable from  professional meteorologists as they use sophisticated meteorological  instruments and equipment in their weather station, publish annual  summaries and descriptive climatological studies and participate in  the activities of meteorological societies. In recognition of the  dedication and contribution of long-serving volunteers, many NMHSs  present certificates and awards to individuals and institutions.

  Nowadays NMHSs use highly sophisticated equipment, facilities and  models in the preparation of weather forecasts, climate prediction  and related products. However, ground-, air- or ocean-based voluntary  observations continue to be useful, because they provide essential  inputs, especially from data- sparse and often remote and  inaccessible areas to operational and scientific meteorological and  hydrological activities.

  In this respect, governments through the NMHSs, make important  voluntary contributions to the work of WMO. A unique feature of  WMO is that each NMHS of its 185 Members contributes voluntarily  to the scientific and operational work of the Organization by sharing  its observations, encouraging standardization, exchanging data and  making available its expertise to the regional associations and  technical commissions. This is explained by the fact that, as weather  and climate know no national boundaries, international cooperation  on a global scale is considered essential for the development of  meteorology and hydrology, as well as for reaping the benefits from  their applications. 

  Recognizing the interdependency of all countries in relation to  meteorological and hydrological activities, WMO Member countries  adopted Resolution 40 at the Twelfth World Meteorological Congress  in 1995. The resolution provides a unique framework for the free and  unrestricted exchange of meteorological data and products on a  regular basis between nations through WMO’s World Weather  Watch. This system comprises a network of national, regional and  global centres maintained voluntarily by WMO Member countries.  Other similar programmes include the World Hydrological Cycle  Observing System and the Global Atmosphere Watch, which make  available meteorological, hydrological and environmental data and  products to each NMHS on an equal basis, limited only to its  technical capability of communicating with the system. The data and  products also enable all nations to fulfil their obligations under  international conventions, such as those on climate change and  desertification. Similarly, Resolution 25 of the Thirteenth World  Meteorological Congress in 1999 provides for the free exchange of  hydrological data and products among Member countries.

  Other major sources of regular data for operational and research  purposes, arranged voluntarily and for mutual benefit through NMHSs,  include those from satellites, commercial aircraft and ships. Since  the early days of commercial aviation, observations from aircraft have  proved to be extremely valuable for improved weather forecasts and  safety of air navigation. 

  Similarly, over the oceans, ships’ personnel, often in difficult and  dangerous situations, utilize their expertise to make observations and  pass on the results to the appropriate centres. Indeed, these data  make a vital contribution to weather forecasting and to marine safety  and efficiency. They also serve as historical data needed for planning  and design, and contribute substantially to our understanding of  atmosphere-ocean interaction and climate change. They are also  essential for the development of long-range, and seasonal to  interannual forecasts, and are of particular importance for predicting  phenomena such as El Niño. At the beginning of this year, over 6 700  vessels from 52 countries were participating in the WMO Voluntary  Observing Ships (VOS) Programme, under which ships are recruited  by National Meteorological Services to record and transmit real-time  meteorological and oceanographic observations, including air  pressure, air temperature, sea-surface temperature, wind and  sea-state. 

  The data or "readings" obtained by these networks of volunteers and  cooperative observers from various institutions, public or private,  contribute to the effort of the NMHSs in support of sustainable  development. The data, especially if part of a long series, also make  a valuable contribution to studies of the climate, especially at local  level and over oceans, as well as to our understanding of human  influence on climate and natural processes affecting the atmosphere,  land and the oceans.

  Volunteers in many countries also contribute in ensuring more  effective preparedness against hazardous weather conditions such as  tropical cyclones, tornadoes and blizzards at local and national  levels. At times, the success of crucial forecasts during extreme  weather events may benefit from the availability of critical  ground-based observations provided by volunteers. An example of  this is in the use of volunteer storm-spotters who render a worthwhile  service as they provide on-the-scene, up-to-date information that  complement other data from radars and satellites. This information is  often reported to meteorologists through a network of amateur radio  operators. The concerted effort and solidarity that are so often seen  in extreme weather events or in the event of other natural disasters  are, in many respects, reinforced by the fact that certain critical jobs,  from amateur radio operators to firemen, are also carried out by  volunteers.

  In some countries of Central America, when risk levels increase,  volunteer observers are asked to measure rainfall and report the  results every hour to a forecasting centre. Once rainfall exceeds a  critical threshold, the levels of the river and its tributaries are  measured. As the rainfall is measured consistently, a rise in river  level helps to confirm the geographic extent and the amount of the  precipitation. When the river exceeds its critical flooding level, the  forecasting centre notifies the local emergency committee which  issues a public warning and activates an emergency plan. These  community early warning systems have the advantage of being  simple to operate and are effective in raising the awareness of rural  communities to the risk of natural disasters. 

  WMO’s role in coordinating the voluntary collaboration of its Member  countries on a global scale is unique. It has been responsible for  some of the best examples of international cooperation. For example,  its pioneering role in the global coordination of geophysical, including  meteorological, experiments has contributed to remarkable  advancements in areas such as weather forecasting, climate science  and ozone monitoring. The experiments include the International  Geophysical Year (1957/1958), the Global Atmosphere Research  Programme’s Atlantic Tropical Experiment (GATE, 1974), the Global  Weather Experiment (1978/1979), the Alpine Experiment (1982), and  the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (1992-1993)  within the Tropical Ocean and Global Atmosphere (TOGA) project  (1985-1994).

  A number of other mechanisms that assist in ensuring important  voluntary contributions to the advancement of the sciences of  meteorology and hydrology, their applications to socio-economic  development and to the development of NMHSs have been  established. 

  Amongst these is the way the WMO/UNEP Intergovernmental Panel  on Climate Change (IPCC) accomplishes its tasks, which in itself  highlights the spirit of voluntarily international collaboration and  cooperation. Established jointly by WMO and UNEP in 1988, there  are currently upwards of 3 000 scientists and other experts from  around the world voluntarily providing expertise for research, drafting,  reviewing and finalizing IPCC reports on various aspects of climate  change. These scientists/experts straddle a large number of  disciplines such as climatology, water supply, agriculture,  oceanography, forestry, sustainable development, equity issues and  costing methodologies. Over recent years, the level of participation  by scientists and other experts from developing countries and those  with economies-in-transition has increased steadily, enhancing  commitment to IPCC findings. 

  Another major initiative unique to WMO and which contributes to  global cooperation among NMHSs within the WMO community is the  WMO Voluntary Cooperation Programme (VCP). Members volunteer  to assist each other to enhance capabilities in the implementation of  WMO scientific and technical Programmes. To ensure that all  NMHSs are able to participate fully in WMO Programmes for the  benefit of all Member countries, the VCP coordinates an important  exchange of technology and know-how from countries with more  developed NMHSs. 

  In the context of non-governmental organizations, national and  regional meteorological and hydrological societies also make  considerable voluntary contributions to the advancement of  meteorology and hydrology worldwide. While many of the societies  have small numbers of dedicated staff to help them, they all benefit  from the participation of motivated, altruistic, yet experienced,  scientists in activities related to the science of meteorology and  hydrology and their applications to socio-economic development.  These activities invariably involve, among others, developing and  disseminating knowledge of meteorology, hydrology and related  sciences; and promoting and advancing the sciences among the  public, academic researchers, the media and the public. 

  Within the UN System, WMO also collaborates with the UN  Volunteer Programme. United Nations Volunteers (UNVs) with key  professional skills have been regularly assigned to WMO projects  throughout the world for many years. UNV specialists have  contributed a wide range of expertise to projects implemented by  WMO in developing countries. At various times over the past decade,  hydrologists, hydrogeologists, oceanographers, water ecologists,  meteorologists, agrometeorologists, aeronautical forecasters,  telecommunications experts and energy technicians from countries  in Africa, Asia and the South Pacific have offered their services as  volunteers. 

  It is my hope that, as we move forward into this new millennium, the  volunteers for weather, climate and water will extend and reinforce  their collaboration with the NMHSs and WMO in contributing to the  protection of life and property against natural disasters, in  safeguarding the environment and in enhancing the economic and  social well-being of all sectors of society. The theme also provides an  opportunity for governments, civil society, the private sector, the  general public and the media to appreciate the important  contributions that volunteers make to society in general and to  sciences such as meteorology and hydrology, in particular. WMO  will continue to enhance such collaboration and encourage the  relevant individuals and institutions to further develop such voluntary  work for the benefit of future generations."

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  For more information, please contact: 
  Mr. Taysir M. Al-Ghanem 
  Information and Public Affairs Office 
  World Meteorological Organization 
  7 bis, avenue de la Paix 
  CH 1211 Geneva 2 
  Switzerland
  Tel.+(41 22) 730 8315 
  Fax.+(41 22) 730 8027 
  E-mail:ipa@gateway.wmo.ch 
  Internet website: http://www.wmo.ch