Strengthening the Regional Dimension of Hydromet Services in Southeast Asia

Current hydromet conditions in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region along with expected future conditions highlight the need for continued investment in modernizing hydrometeorological services in the SEA region. Given that similar hazards face Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR), and Vietnam, and that the countries have similar data and hydromet information needs, there are benefits to taking a regional approach to monitoring and forecasting hazardous hydromet conditions. The countries have different capabilities, but nonetheless, with more intense hazardous hydromet events taking place and likely to occur in the future, building a regional dimension to hydromet services can save on the cost of capital infrastructure as well as sustainable operation and maintenance. A number of initiatives that focus on the different stages of the monitoring and forecasting process - such as data collection, forecasting, dissemination of impact-based forecasts and early warnings, and delivery of weather, climate, and hydrological services - can be utilized by sub regional and national hydromet service providers, including in the SEA region. Existing regional frameworks and initiatives in the SEA region can help address some of the major challenges that national hydrometeorological service providers face.