Hanoi (VNA) - General Director of the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological AdministrationTran Hong Thai has been re-elected as Vice President of the World MeteorologicalOrganisation (WMO)’s Region II (Asia) for another term of 2021 – 2024.
The re-election took place as part of the Region II’s 17th session, which ran virtually on May 25 and 26 with the participation of 35members.
Speaking at the event, Thai underscored such global and regional issues as the degradation ofnatural resources and environment, climate change, increasing extreme weathersand diseases, saying they have forced the WMO and its regional associations torestructure to better serve the global communities and overcome challenges.
Thai was first appointed as Vice President of the Region IIin 2019, marking the first time a permanent representative of Vietnam to theWMO assuming such a position.
During his past tenure, the Vietnamese official had fulfilledhis missions, including coordinating the association’s activities, ensuring theimplementation of its recommendations and solutions in line with the WMO Convention,and promoting cooperation among members.
The WMO, formally designated as a specialised agency of theUnited Nations in 1951, has 193 member states and territories.
The 35-member Region II covers a vast expanse of the IndianOcean and part of the Pacific Ocean. It is home to a large and diverse range ofecosystems, including deserts, forests, rivers, lakes and seas. Vietnam has todate held the membership to the regional association for over four decades./.