by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THE International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have urged governments and regulators to protect radio-frequency spectrum vital to weather forecasting, climate monitoring, water management and life-saving early warnings.
The appeal coincides with the release of a new joint handbook, Use of Radio Spectrum for Meteorology: Weather, Climate, Water and Related Environmental Applications, providing updated guidance on managing and protecting frequencies used by meteorological and Earth-observation systems.
These systems collect and transmit data from the atmosphere, oceans and land, supporting forecasts, environmental monitoring and warnings of potentially hazardous conditions.
ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin warned that interference with meteorological frequencies could have direct consequences for public safety.
“Preventing harmful radio interference is a matter of public safety and can save lives,” she said.
“Interference-free spectrum keeps weather forecasts accurate, emergency alerts and warnings timely, and climate data reliable.”
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo stressed that meteorological services depend on specific frequency bands because of the physical properties of the atmosphere.
“The radio-frequency spectrum is a finite natural resource,” she said.
“These bands must be protected.”
The concern is particularly acute for satellite sensors that detect extremely weak naturally occurring signals at specific frequencies.
Harmful interference can compromise measurements that cannot be replicated using other bands.
Weather radar, lightning detection networks, aircraft and marine observation systems, hydrological monitoring platforms and other technologies similarly depend on reliable access to radio spectrum.
The organisations warned that growing demand for wireless communications and satellite services is increasing pressure on the spectrum needed for Earth observation.
Experts meeting in Geneva are reviewing international spectrum decisions affecting meteorological and Earth-observation services, including outcomes of recent World Radiocommunication Conferences.
The new handbook brings technical, operational and regulatory guidance together in one resource, aiming to help policymakers make informed spectrum-management decisions and strengthen cooperation between meteorological and radiocommunication communities.
The organisations said protecting the spectrum is increasingly important as governments seek stronger early-warning systems and greater resilience against climate-related hazards.
The Global ITU-WMO Seminar on Spectrum Use for Meteorology: Challenges, Opportunities, and Evolving Requirements is taking place at ITU headquarters in Geneva from September 28 to 30.
– CAJ News