Argentina Celeste Saulo, director of the National Meteorological Service (SMN), will be the first woman to direct the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the most relevant position at a global level in terms of weather, climate and water, after his election yesterday in the first round. The agency dependent on the United Nations It has a key role in monitoring and anticipating the effects of climate change.
The Argentine scientist thus becomes the first woman in history to occupy the General Secretariat. Your task will not be easy. The United States and China, the two great powers that generate 60% of greenhouse gases, do not want to sign agreements for their reduction.
“In these times in which inequalities and the climate change are the greatest global threats, WMO should help strengthen the meteorological and hydrological services to protect the populations and their economies, providing fast and effective services, and early warning systems,” said Saulo after his election.
Saulo, 59, has led the SMN since 2014 and will assume his duties as WMO Secretary General on January 1, 2024. replacing the Finn Petteri Taalas, the organization said in a statement.
Saulo, who received a doctorate in Meteorological Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) in 1996, already held the position of first vice president of the WMO.
“My ambition is to lead WMO towards a scenario where everyone’s voice is heard, prioritizing the most vulnerable.”
Celeste Saulo, director of the Meteorological Service
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In her candidacy, Argentina describes herself as “passionate about meteorology and solving global challenges associated with climate change, natural risks and the growing vulnerability of peoples.”
The Argentine official obtained the two-thirds majority required to win the election, with 108 votes, against candidates from China, Switzerland and Curaçao who were in the running to replace Taalas, who after serving two terms was unable to run again.
Saul’s election was celebrated by the Government: President Alberto Fernandez He stressed that, with his appointment, “Argentine science continues to be recognized in the world” and stressed that he will become “the first woman to lead this United Nations agency.”
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In her candidacy, Saulo describes herself as “passionate about meteorology and solving the global challenges associated with climate change, natural risks and the growing vulnerability of peoples.”
During his scientific career, Saulo specialized in numerical weather prediction, interactions between land and atmosphere, and the study of intense precipitation systems in South America.