Emergency Response Activity (ERA)

Emergency Response Activity (ERA)

Overview

WMO's Emergency Response Activities (ERA) programme involves the application of specialized atmospheric dispersion-modelling techniques to track and predict the spread of airborne hazardous substances in the event of an environmental emergency. This kind of specialized application depends directly on the operational infrastructure of the numerical weather prediction systems that are implemented and maintained at many of the global, regional or national meteorological centres within WMO's World Weather Watch system.

The ERAprogramme was established to assist National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, their respective national agencies and relevant international organizations to respond effectively to environmental emergencies involving large-scale dispersion of air-borne hazardous substances.

Following the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in 1986, the programme has focused its operational arrangements and support on nuclear facility accidents. In addition, where possible, the programme has also included emergency response to the dispersion of smoke from large fires, ash and other emissions from volcanic eruptions, and chemical releases from industrial accidents.

WMO has implemented and maintains a system of eight Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres (RSMCs) which are prepared at all times to provide highly specialized computer-based simulations that predict the long-range movement of air-borne radioactivity. These specialized centres, providing complete global coverage 24 hours a day, every day, are located in National Meteorological Centres at:

The system also includes a telecommunication gateway at Offenbach (Germany) to provide notification and real-time information linkage between the Incident and Emergency Centre of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and WMO. When requested, the centres will provide the specialized products within three hours to National Meteorological Centres and the IAEA.

WMO is expanding the scope and capabilities of its ERA programme to include non-nuclear environmental emergencies - the area of chemical incidents and emergencies is one under exploration and development.

WMO Bulletin - A more complete description of environmental ERA.

Back to top