The Secretary of State for the Environment, Pablo Saavedra, presided over the commemorative event of World Meteorological Day held at the headquarters of the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).
 
The celebratory events revolved around the slogan “Warmer, drier, wetter. Let’s face the future”, chosen this year by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which allows us to raise awareness about the variability that awaits us in meteorological matters, as scientific studies published in recent years have already collected.
 
In this context, according to Saavedra, prediction and prevention policies will be essential to minimize their negative impacts. “Our generation has the enormous responsibility to face the challenge of climate change,” said the Secretary of State, who valued that the agreements reached last year at the Paris Climate Summit (COP 21) constitute “a decisive opportunity to establish policies aimed at consolidating sustainable development and curbing the effects of climate change.”
 
AEMET celebrates this World Meteorological Day by recognising the Agency’s professionals who have participated in more than ten Antarctic campaigns, such as Juan María Cisneros Sanchiz, Alberto Castejón de la Cuesta and Manuel Bañón García. Six other professionals have been honoured in the territorial delegations of AEMET.
 
In addition, the Agency thanked the captain of the ship “Esperanza del Mar”, Roberto González Díaz, for his collaboration with the Agency by carrying out meteorological surveys from his boat in the waters of the Canary archipelago.
 
In the same way, a special mention was made to two collaborators who have turned more than a hundred years old. In this case, the recognition has been for Juan Mosquera Candal, 102 years old, in charge of the rainfall and phenological station of Montaos, in Ordes (Santiago de Compostela) since 1948 and Bittor Garaigordobil Berrizbeitia, 101 years old and collaborator of the automatic station of the Sanctuary of Urkiola.