Chongqing's meteorological systems praised by UN body

Chongqing's efforts to modernize its meteorological systems have captured the attention and praise of the UN's World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for their innovative approach to managing a megacity.

During a visit to Chongqing from Wednesday to Thursday, Celeste Saulo, secretary-general of the WMO, expressed her appreciation for the city's early warning systems.

"I was impressed by many elements of the early warning system here," she said during a visit to the Chongqing Meteorological Bureau on Thursday night.

"I think what Chongqing can bring to the world is a valuable example of how to manage extreme events, and develop early warning systems in complex environments such as megacities."

Saulo highlighted the city's combination of innovation and traditional knowledge, emphasizing a people-centered approach. "Protecting people should be at the center of what we do as part of the United Nations system. We have an obligation to global society and to the global population."

Chongqing, often referred to as the gateway to China's vast inland regions and a major manufacturing hub, was designated as the country's fourth municipality in 1997, following Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. Spanning approximately 82,400 square kilometers, its area is comparable to that of Austria and is five times larger than Beijing. With a population exceeding 32 million, Chongqing stands as China's largest megacity in terms of both area and population, according to local authorities.

Saulo also toured several key sites in the city, including Chongqing Digital Urban Operations and Governance Center and a community in the city's Shapingba district.

Her visit aimed to assess Chongqing's implementation of the United Nations' initiative for universal early warning systems. She gained firsthand insights into how digital meteorological solutions empower megacity governance and the coordination of grassroots disaster warnings.

According to the bureau, the city's meteorological modernization efforts encompass innovative practices such as integrating digital and intelligent meteorological solutions to empower megacity governance, implementing comprehensive early warning systems for the public, and developing digital strategies for flood prevention.

The city now has established a comprehensive warning system in collaboration with 10 local departments, including emergency management, water resources, and transportation. This initiative focuses on three major meteorological disasters — heavy rain, extreme heat, and low-temperature snow and ice events — representing a shift from single-element weather warnings to integrated risk alerts.

Currently, Chongqing has achieved unified dissemination of warning information, with a robust network reaching over a million emergency responders and a public coverage rate exceeding 99.9 percent.