The Workshop Agrometeorologist for farmers in hotter, drier, wetter future took place in Ljubljana, Slovenia on 9 and 10 November 2016. The title and theme was inspired by this year’s World Meteorological day title. A significant number of well known experts in the field of agrometeorology gathered together in order to strengthen networking in Europe and the Mediterranean area, to share best practices in the supply of agro-meteorological services, to identify gaps in existing knowledge and practices and to compile recommendations for future research, development and networking.
Among the fifty participants of the workshop were experts from Ireland, Germany, Slovakia, Austria, Italy, Morocco, Israel, Greece, Moldova, Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Belgium, Serbia, Croatia, and of course also Slovenian experts in agrometeorology. Most of workshop participants were from the national hydrometeorological services, some from the private sector, but also academic world. Representatives from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and the European Environment Agency also were engaged.
The workshop was financially supported by the Netherlands Foundation Solco W. Tromp, whose objectives are the promotion and development of Biometeorology. Such a workshop wouldn’t be possible without contributions of WMO. In terms of content, it was important the participation of FAO. Eumetcal (EUMETNET) provided support by disseminating the workshop announcement and content on international scale through its solid network. The Global Water Partnership in Central and Eastern Europe and the Center for Drought Management in South Eastern Europe, which operates within the Slovenian Environment Agency, helped to extend the participation to the workshop towards east and southeast of Europe. Together with help of international organizations it was thus possible to offer diversified and highly relevant content at international level.
The workshop was mainly held in plenary sessions with invited lectures, short presentations about the status of agro-meteorological services for users in countries were conducted in two parallel sessions, which then reported to the plenary session.
Presentations and recommendations will be published in the form of CDs, presentations will be posted on the website of the World Meteorological Organization and on the website of the Centre for Drought Management in South Eastern Europe. For early 2017 a special publication of the World Meteorological Organization is foreseen. The Solco W. Tromp Foundation offered the possibility of specific issue of journal Biological Rhythm Research.
The workshop was followed by a meeting of the World Meteorological Organization Task Team on Agricultural Meteorology in Europe, and a meeting of members of the Centre for Drought Management in South Eastern Europe.
Additional information are available from the Tanja Cegnar (tanja.cegnar@gov.si)