World Meteorological Organisation Elects IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra as Vice President

New Delhi: The Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, has been elected as one of the three vice-presidents of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the United Nations agency responsible for monitoring climate change and disaster preparedness.

The elections took place in Geneva, where Abdulla Al Mandous from the United Arab Emirates National Center of Meteorology was elected as the President of WMO for a four-year term. Daouda Konate from Cote d’Ivoire and Eoin Moran from Ireland’s Met Éireann were elected as the first and second vice presidents, respectively.

Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director of @Indiametdept has been elected Third Vice-President of WMO at #MeteoWorld.
We congratulate all the new office holders. pic.twitter.com/XqHVuOrJN8

— World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) June 1, 2023

Earlier, M Ravichandran, the Earth Sciences Secretary, was elected as the Vice Chair of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Mechanism (ATCM).

The WMO comprises a President and three vice-presidents who oversee the World Meteorological Congress and the Executive Council. The Secretariat, based in Geneva, is led by the Secretary-General, with Prof Celeste Saulo of Argentina becoming the first female to hold this position.

Mohapatra’s election as a WMO vice-president is expected to provide India with an opportunity to influence global policies related to early warnings and disaster management. Similarly, Ravichandran’s role in the ATCM could enable India to play a significant part in polar research. These developments highlight India’s growing presence and influence in international meteorological and climate-related forums.