Public and private engagement in hydromet services : from rivalry to coproduction in meteorological and hydrological service delivery

Meteorological and hydrological (hydromet) services are critical to helping any society cope with weather extremes and to adapt to a changing climate. In this technical note, the authors explore the relationships between the public and private sectors, covering the gamut from how National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) are improved to how public and private weather, climate, and hydrological services are delivered to users. The tenet of this discourse is the potential benefit to the public sector of the increasing role of private providers of hydromet services in fulfilling the public sector’s acknowledged responsibility for the protection of life and property from hydrometeorological hazards.

The authors concluded the report by identifying three conditions that should be met for coproduction to succeed related to value, incentive, and trust. Since these are often in short supply, a practical approach is needed to trial and test the efficacy of coproduction between public and private entities. This approach should explore the entire value chain to determine if measurable benefits can accrue to both public and private sector service providers.