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The electronic version of this document has been prepared at the Fourth
World Conference on Women by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
in collaboration with the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
Secretariat.
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AS WRITTEN


ORGANISATION MÉTÉOROLOGIQUE MONDIALE / WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION
WMO STATEMENT TO THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN,
Beijing, China, 4-15 September 1995


Mme President,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure for me to address this distinguished gathering on behalf of the
World Meteorological Organization (WMO). I would like to take this opportunity
to express WMO's thanks and appreciation to the Chinese people and especially to
the Government of the People’s Republic of China for hosting this important
conference.

The World Meteorological Organization is the specialized agency of the United
Nations that is responsible for coordinating the world's work in the areas of
meteorology and operational hydrology. WMO ensures the provision of
authoritative scientific information on the state and behaviour of the global
atmosphere. the climate it produces, its interaction with the oceans, and the
resulting distribution of water resources on Earth. These activities are
fundamental to the quality of life for all humankind, men and women alike.

The World Meteorological Organization has long recognized the importance of
women to meteorology and hydrology and their valuable contributions to
sustainable development. The International Conference on Water and the
Environment, which WMO organized in Dublin, Ireland, just prior to the UN
Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, gave
special attention to the crucial role played by women in the field of water
resources. Principle No. 3 of the “Dublin Statement" states “Women play a
central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water. This
pivotal role of women as providers and users of water and guardians of the
living environment has seldom been reflected in institutional arrangements for
the development and management of water resources." The Dublin Statement further
stresses that “Acceptance and implementation of this principle require positive
policies to address women's specific needs and to equip and empower women to
participate at all levels in water resources programmes, including decision-
making and implementation- in ways defined by them”.

Mme President,

The basic necessities of life depend on our adaptation to weather and climate
conditions and on the sustainable use of water resources. In many parts of the
world, women are the main users and managers of water resources, and their
everyday work is closely linked to atmospheric and hydrological conditions
However, despite the advances that have been made by women in the fields of
meteorology, hydrology and in other geophysical sciences, there is a continuing
lack of adequate number of professional women particularly in advisory and
policy-making levels.

While women play a major role at the household level in managing the use of
water, in some cases, they play a minor role at the community level in water
resources management and in other activities of the national Hydrological
Services.

Mme President,

There are positive signs that this trend is changing. We see greater numbers of
women working in weather forecasting and hydrological stations, especially in
parts of the developing world. The number of women in academic and government-
sponsored research positions is increasing, particularly in industrialized
countries. Opportunities to advance professional competence and the role of
women generally in meteorology, hydrology and related environmental sciences
provided through education and training at various levels. In the context of
WMO, for example, about 10 per cent of the total number of training fellowships
are awarded to women, while for hydrology the number is 13 per cent. Similar
percentages can be found in the post-graduate and higher academic fellowship
awards on a country-by-country basis. A survey of the American Geophysical Union
which has about 30,000 members, found 13 that per cent were women but that this
percentage of women members increases for each ten-year age group with
decreasing age. Only 3 per cent of those who are above 60 years old are women,
compared with 30 per cent of those who are in their twenties. In some parts of
the world the basic information about weather, climate and the environment is
mostly provided by women, whether as observers at meteorological and
hydrological stations, or as workers in analytical laboratories or at weather
bureaus.

Lest we paint too bright a picture, Mme President, we must note that meteorology
and hydrology are still overwhelmingly male-dominated professions. Even in the
most progressive societies, women are still a minority in these fields,
particularly at the highest levels of achievement and authority. One of the
reasons for the lack of women in the sciences must lie in basic education. in
many countries, fewer girls have access to education than boys. UNESCO estimates
that 64 per cent of the word’s illiterate population are girls and that they
still lag behind boys in access to primary-school education, particularly in
Africa and Asia. On the occasion of World Water Day 1995, which was devoted to
the theme “Women and Water", the Secretary-General of WMO, Prof. Obasi said
that: "Opportunities need to be provided to alter this pattern, especially as to
permit women to play an increasing role in the development and management of one
of the world's priceless resources". Furthermore, said Prof. Obasi, "it is
essential that basic knowledge about water resources assessment is included in
all programmes involving the capacity building of women".

Mme President,

A prerequisite to measuring progress is having reliable statistics on the
current representation of women, which are currently lacking. The draft Beijing
Platform for Action proposes, among others, to increase the proportion of women
involved in programmes for natural resource management and environmental
protection and conservation. WMO will contribute to a proposed worldwide survey
to be coordinated by the United Nations on the status of women. WMO will focus
on women in the fields of meteorology, hydrology, climatology and related
sciences. This survey could be undertaken with the help of scientific and
professional societies and non-governmental organizations around the world,
including the International Council of Scientific Unions, one of WMO's foremost
NGO partners.

Mme President,

There is a need to raise consciousness among decision-makers and the general
public about women's contributions to sustainable development. And there is a
need to strengthen the capacities of women to manage and implement science-based
knowledge and techniques. The role of women as key players in the application of
sustainable development and techniques can be reinforced by providing them with
appropriate environmental training and information, as well as employment
opportunities. Women as environmental educators, communicators and information
specialists have been and continue to be key agents for change in our society.
The participation of knowledgeable women in “think tanks", expert groups and in
training activities is now allowing women to educate the public and policy-
makers about the vital linkages between women, natural resources and sustainable
development. Public awareness and information programmes about weather, climate
and water could highlight the special role played by women both as providers and
recipients of these basic services in various parts of the world. These
programmes for, by, and about women, could be produced and disseminated through
the mass media by the UN system of agencies, with WMO's participation and
support.

The forthcoming HABITAT 11 conference in Turkey next year will take the women's
dimension in the urbanization issue into account, with a growing number of
cities suffering from atmospheric and water pollution, and thousands of urban
women suffering as a result of increasing environmental degradation. Recent
World Bank estimates show that rapid population growth, especially in the urban
areas could climb from 5.6 billion today to 8 billion in the year 2025, bringing
greater demands for food, water, shelter and other basic needs. During the
conference, WM0 will be focusing on the urban climate and vanishing water
resources, and the impact that these problems will have on urban populations,
the majority of them women, and on the world's fast growing megacities.

Mme President,

The popular Chinese saying “Women hold half the sky" can hold true only if women
are given equal opportunities as men in access to education, food, health,
shelter and a safe environment. These are not impossible goals, as the progress
of some countries have shown. A decade ago, WM0 participated in the Third UN
Conference on Women in Nairobi, and supported the Nairobi Forward-Looking
Strategies for the Advancement of Women to the Year 2000. Let us make these
goals a reality before we reach the twenty-first century