The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) was created in 1950 within the framework of the UN and as the successor to the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), whose origins date back to 1873. The already long scientific tradition in this field now includes a new milestone: the Professor Celeste Saulo has assumed the duties of Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and thus becomes the first woman and the first South American to hold this position.
Celeste Saulo has a degree in Meteorological Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires and in 1996 she obtained a doctorate in Atmospheric Sciences from the same university. In 2014 she was appointed director of the National Meteorological Service (SMN) of Argentina and in recent years she has served as first vice president of the WMO.
“Professor Saulo will guide the work of the Organization to realize its vision of a world where all nations, especially the most vulnerable, are more resilient to extreme events related to weather, climate, water or other environmental phenomena” , the WMO itself has highlighted in the statement introducing its new secretary general.
Elaborating on the objectives of the mandate, he highlights that Saulo “will lead the activities of the WMO community to transform scientific knowledge into the best possible services for society.” This includes strengthening the observations and data sharing needed to generate reliable and accessible weather forecasts, taking advantage of enormous advances in artificial intelligence, and expanding early warning services to protect everyone on the planet.
Likewise, Professor Saulo will seek to consolidate WMO activities in monitoring and researching the indicators and impacts of climate change in order to inform decision-making on mitigation and adaptation, for example, through an initiative pioneer as the Global Greenhouse Gas Monitoring.
“Climate change constitutes the greatest global threat of our time, and rising inequality worsens its impacts. “We have just experienced the warmest year on record and 2024 could be even hotter and more extreme, once the effects of the current El Niño episode are fully felt in temperatures and meteorological phenomena,” he says. “Human and industrial activities are clearly responsible.”
“Coming from the Global South, I am acutely aware of the need to strive to prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable. I am highly motivated to help all National Meteorological and Hydrological Services undertake their mission of saving lives and livelihoods. Most of these Services have the experience, knowledge and passion to fulfill their mandate, but many lack the resources to achieve this,” she explains. “Even a small increase in investment generates enormous socioeconomic benefits for our communities.”
Professor Saulo maintains that one of her priorities will be to strengthen the presence of the WMO at the regional level and strengthen the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services through a “bottom-up approach”. Furthermore, she wishes to strengthen geographical diversity in the Organization’s Secretariat.
Professor Saulo is also committed to building close relationships with the United Nations system, development agencies and the private sector, for example regarding the Early Warnings for All initiative. Real leadership and concrete results are based on strong partnerships.
Professor Celeste Saulo succeeds Professor Petteri Taalas, from Finland, who has concluded his second term at the head of the Secretariat. The new person in charge was appointed on June 1, 2023 at the World Meteorological Congress, the highest decision-making body of the WMO that brings together the 193 Members of the Organization every four years and has assumed her duties on January 1, 2024.