PROHIMET

Ibero-American Network for the monitoring and forecasting of hydrometeorological phenomena

PROHIMET is a thematic network for the countries of Ibero America. It brings together specialists in various disciplines with particular interest in the problems of floods and droughts, as well as addressing climate change issues.

PROHIMET is a linkage and a cooperation framework for seeking the following specific objectives:

• To enlarge the cooperation between the scientific communities of hydrologist and meteorologists, and to stimulate their interaction with other institutions which have relation with both, as it is the case of the civil protection services.
• To establish a multinational cooperation, in the ibero-american region, for the use of new techniques of hydrometeorological forecasting.
• To encourage staff training and capacity building in the use of modern tools for hydrometeorological monitoring, forecast and dissemination, as well as all matters dealing with the concepts of risk, hazard and vulnerability.
• To analyze and to evaluate the state of development and the lacks and needs of the ibero-american countries in regards to the forecast and warning systems and hydrometeorological phenomena related measures.
• To promote the development of pilot projects as demonstration cases.

Creating the network

In 2004, an event called "American Seminar on Information Systems and Hydrometeorological Forecast" was held in Valencia (Spain), which brought a large number of specialists from 22 countries of the Latin American region. It was promoted by the World Meteorological Organization, within its Flood Forecasting Initiative, and supported by the National Meteorological Institute of Spain and the Júcar River Basin Authority. The main topic of the meeting was the link between meteorology and hydrology. Participants concluded, among others, on the needs and difficulties of cooperation between these two groups of specialists. They also highlighted some technical problems that have not yet been solved and are closely related to the common characteristics of hydrological and meteorological services.

One of the proposals included in the conclusions of the seminar Valencia 2004 (see Declaration of Valencia) was the creation of a thematic network for hydrometeorological monitoring and forecasting. PROHIMET was created a few months later, and it enjoyed subvention under the CYTED program during 2005-2008.

Coordination

The coordinator of the network is

Angel Luis Aldana Valverde

Dr. Ingeniero de Caminos, Canales y Puertos (Dr. Civil Engineer)

WMO Consultant

http://es.linkedin.com/pub/angel-luis-aldana-valverde/10/425/6b7

Main features

The following characteristics are highlighted:

• The network is geared to people and institutions (through a representative).
• Members are required to participate, contribute and share (participate in activities; provide feedback, analysis and solutions, and share knowledge and experiences).
• The scientific and technological exchanges are carried out in concrete solutions to the problems addressed.
• Establishing of forums for discussion of specific and cross-cutting topics.
• The development and technology transfer is effective.
• It gathers knowledge of the specific problems of the region.
• It has advisory capacity, with an integrated approach in all aspects of monitoring systems and hydrometeorological forecast and early warning systems.
• It is a valuable platform for supporting development assistance actions

Multidisciplinar and multisectorial network

PROHIMET is multisectorial and multidisciplinary framework of specialists who interchange knowledge and experiences and they contribute to capacity building, public awareness and education in flood, drought and climate issues. They are meteorologists, hydrologists, engineers, physicians, mathematicians, arquitects and experts on zoning and urban planning. The network gathers working groups which develop their activities in different sectors: national institutes of meteorology and hydrology, hydropower companies, water management organizations, city councils, universities, research and development institutions and foundations and nongovernmental organizations

Questions & Answers

• Is PROHIMET part of WMO or other institution?

No, it isn’t. It is supported by different entities, WMO among others (see support bodies)

• Are its members delegates of the Hydrological and Meteorological National Services or are they representatives of other institutions?

NO, they aren’t. PROHIMET is multidisciplinary and multisectorial framework of specialist … (see main characteristics)

• Is it a network of hydrologist?

No, it isn’t. It’s mainly constituted by hydrologist and meteorologist, but it also gathers civil protection specialists as well as others (see participating)

• Is PROHIMET an entity for projects subvention management?

No, it isn’t. It develops projects as demonstration cases for interchanging of experiences and for encouraging the joint participation of experts of different countries (see projects)