From 4-6 November 2025, the second Regional Scientific Forum of Members of WMO Region VI (Europe) took place in Prague, Czechia under the theme “Increasing water and heat resilience in RA VI”. The forum, which has been established in 2023, acts as a regular platform to bridge the gap between research and operational services within the Earth System. This aligns with WMO Strategic Goal 3, which aims to strengthen the connection between science, services, and policy to enhance the societal benefits of weather, climate, hydrological, and environmental services. The forum has been co-organized by the WMO RA VI Working Group on Research, the RA VI Hydrological Adviser, the WMO Secretariat and the Czech National Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI).
With a specific focus on increasing water and heat resilience in the region, this year’s forum addressed regional hydrological and heat-related challenges such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves. The forum was held in a highly interactive format that included a dynamic mix of information sharing and question-and-answer sessions. By bringing together operators, scientists, communication and behavioural experts, the forum aimed to clearly articulate regional issues and explore both scientific and practical solutions. The participants reflected on the advances of artificial intelligence and its potential to scale up early warning systems, improve data management, leverage the latest modelling advances, and enhance actionable communication strategies. By learning from best practices and sharing lessons learned, the forum aimed to stimulate participants to think creatively and innovatively, encouraging the development of concrete solutions that address the unique challenges faced by Region VI.
“For our data centre, the most important point was to strengthen existing networks and establish new contacts”, emphasized Simon Mischel, head of GRDC. The WMO Scientific Forum provided the perfect platform for this, as GRDC works closely with WMO and the hydrological advisors of the countries. Here, it was particularly important to learn about the needs and positions of the countries. Simon also presented the work of GRDC during a poster presentation that served as a basis for many fruitful discussions. The focus was, of course, on data acquisition, but also on more specific issues such as the provision of data via APIs and station registration into the WMO OSCAR system.
