ABOUT CPAM

Scope

Between August 19 and 23, 2024, the 1st Pan-American Meteorological Conference (CPAM 2024), held at the USP International Dissemination Center in São Paulo, established itself as one of the continent's main scientific forums for debating "Climate Change: Past, Present and Future". The event brought together more than 1,100 participants from 14 countries, with a strong presence of students and broad representation from the meteorological community, promoting a plural, interdisciplinary and international environment.

The program was structured into 17 thematic sessions and 17 roundtables, in which topics ranging from natural processes influencing climate variability to the impacts of human activities on atmospheric systems were discussed. Themes such as extreme events—heat and cold waves, intense rainfall, droughts, and fires—were highlighted, emphasizing the increasing frequency and intensity of these phenomena and their direct effects on society, including risks to water, food, and energy security, as well as public health.

The event also brought to light the Brazilian reality, marked by recent episodes of climate disasters in different regions of the country, reinforcing the urgency of expanding scientific understanding and response capacity in the face of these occurrences. In this sense, CPAM functioned as a strategic space for the exchange of knowledge, integration between Latin American countries, and articulation between science and public policies.

With the presentation of 667 scientific papers and the participation of internationally renowned researchers, the conference also stood out for encouraging the training of new professionals, providing students with a rare opportunity for immersion in a high-level scientific environment. Thus, CPAM 2024 not only reflected the current state of knowledge on climate change, but also established a solid foundation for future editions and initiatives, reinforcing its role as a catalyst for debates, partnerships, and solutions in the face of contemporary climate challenges.

Beyond academic discussions, CPAM 2024 brought important advances to the debate on the organization of the national meteorological system, including the need for integration between research centers, improvements in data collection and sharing, and the strengthening of policies such as the National Meteorology Policy. Cross-cutting themes of great relevance were also addressed, such as the role of COP30 in Brazil, the participation of women in climate science, and the challenges in teaching Meteorology in the Americas.

CPAM 2027: Theme, Objectives, and Relevance

Continuing the discussions initiated in the first edition, we propose holding the 2nd Pan-American Meteorological Conference (CPAM 2027) between May 17 and 21, 2027, with the theme "Integrating Meteorology: Networks of Operational and Research Cooperation".

CPAM 2027 aims to strengthen the collaboration between national and international institutions that structure, produce, and apply meteorological knowledge in Brazil and the Americas. Building strong networks necessarily involves collaboration between operational bodies, research centers, universities, international organizations, and the private sector.

In operational terms, institutions such as the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET) play a fundamental role in monitoring and forecasting weather on a national scale, providing essential data for various sectors of society. Alongside it, the National Center for Monitoring and Alerts of Natural Disasters (CEMADEN) works directly in disaster prevention, integrating meteorological, hydrological, and geotechnical information to issue alerts. Another key player is the Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies of the National Institute for Space Research (CPTEC/INPE), a reference in numerical modeling and climate forecasting, also contributing with cutting-edge research and technological development.

In this ecosystem, the Armed Forces play an essential role. The Brazilian Navy, through its hydrographic centers and marine meteorological services, is responsible for monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, which are fundamental for navigational safety and for understanding coastal and oceanic phenomena. The Brazilian Air Force, through its aeronautical meteorology structure, provides critical support to air operations, with specialized forecasts and real-time observations that also contribute to the national meteorological data network.

In the field of research and training, federal institutes and public universities play a central role in the production of knowledge and the training of highly qualified human resources. These institutions maintain well-established courses and research groups in Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences, and are fundamental to scientific advancement, the development of new methodologies, and technological innovation.

Furthermore, state and regional agencies, such as meteorological centers and civil defense agencies, complement this network by operating in a more localized manner, connecting scientific knowledge to the specific needs of each region. Integration with agencies such as the National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency is also crucial, especially in the context of water resource management and extreme events.

The private sector and technology companies are gaining increasing ground, offering innovative solutions in monitoring, remote sensing, big data, and artificial intelligence applied to meteorology. Their participation expands the responsiveness and efficiency of forecasting and alert systems.

Thus, CPAM 2027 aims to be a point of convergence between these diverse institutions, promoting integration between operational monitoring, scientific research, and technological innovation. By strengthening these cooperation networks, the event seeks to drive more effective and integrated solutions capable of addressing contemporary climate challenges and expanding the positive impact of meteorology on society.

Event format and news

This year, as in the first edition, the event stems from the initiative to bring together the coordinators of higher education programs in Atmospheric Sciences in Brazil (at its various levels: undergraduate, master's and doctoral), as well as coordinators of technical courses in meteorology, to support this Pan-American meteorology event. With this, the Brazilian meteorology community, together with the Santa Catarina Meteorology Association (ACMet), proposes the joint organization of the third edition of the Symposium on Climate, Water, Energy and Food (III SIMCLEA), but also the 2nd edition of the Pan-American Meteorology Conference (CPAM 2027).

Just like the first edition, this event will feature multidisciplinary meetings, and the themes will be addressed through lectures and roundtables featuring experts from various national and international institutions and speakers of recognized international prestige. The scientific community will participate through poster presentations, as well as plenary sessions following the presentations of the roundtable members and individual lectures. There will also be three mini-courses on selected topics, educational and scientific outreach activities, reduced registration fees for underprivileged students and/or students with special needs, debates on curricularization of education, and a meeting of meteorology students.

The CPAM 2027 will be held in a context of growing concern about extreme weather events and their impacts on different strategic sectors of society. For example, the event will address more recent episodes of very strong El Niño, especially highlighting the events of 1982/1983, 1997/1998, 2015/2016, and 2023/2024, internationally recognized for the severe impacts they caused on a global and regional scale. In Brazil, these phenomena have been associated with prolonged droughts, floods, significant changes in precipitation patterns, damage to agriculture, compromised hydroelectric power generation, and significant socioeconomic impacts. This year, a new episode of strong El Niño is predicted, and the discussion of these episodes will allow us to contextualize the current challenges related to climate variability and the need to strengthen monitoring, forecasting, and adaptation capacities.

As part of the technical program, CPAM 2027 will include a roundtable discussion dedicated to the theme of water security in Brazil, promoting integrated debate among experts, public managers, and representatives from the energy and agribusiness sectors. The aim is to discuss the impacts of climate variability and extreme events on water availability, strategic reservoirs, energy generation, and agricultural productivity, as well as to present mitigation, adaptation, and sustainable planning strategies. This forum will seek to strengthen inter-institutional dialogue and stimulate solutions focused on the climate resilience of sectors essential to national development.

The event will also feature a space dedicated to innovation and new technologies applied to meteorology, climate, and environmental monitoring. Conceived as a technological showcase, this space will allow research institutions, companies, and operational centers to present tools, platforms, forecasting systems, artificial intelligence solutions, remote sensing, meteorological instrumentation, and technologies focused on risk management and decision support. The initiative seeks to bring together the scientific community, the productive sector, operational centers, and end users, stimulating partnerships, knowledge transfer, and the development of solutions applied to contemporary climate challenges.

Furthermore, CPAM 2027 will seek to strengthen integration with national and international organizations linked to meteorology, climate, and disaster management, highlighting the importance of institutional cooperation with CVEM and the World Meteorological Organization. Participation in and reference to these institutions reinforce the event's alignment with international guidelines for climate monitoring, disaster risk reduction, and strengthening the operational capacity of meteorological and environmental services.

CPAM 2027 will also bring new fronts for institutional discussion, highlighting the role of the Coordinating Commission for Meteorology, Climatology and Hydrology Activities (CMCH), a Brazilian collegiate body linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), responsible for coordinating actions between government institutions, meteorological centers, operational services and the scientific community.

In summary, we propose special sessions focused on these strategic debates. Furthermore, researchers in Atmospheric and Earth Sciences can propose and organize workshops within the event aimed at sharing scientific advances, presenting new technologies, and promoting collaboration among experts in the field.

In this way, CPAM 2027 consolidates itself as a strategic platform for integration between science, operation, innovation, education, and society. By bringing together public institutions, universities, research centers, meteorological services, the private sector, international organizations, and students, the event will contribute to strengthening meteorology as an essential area for sustainable development, public safety, climate resilience, and decision-making in strategic sectors for Brazil and the Americas.

Educational, popularization, and scientific dissemination activities for different types of audiences.

The event's outreach and training plan will be structured through educational activities aimed at both the participating public and teachers in the public school system. As a preparatory step for the event, a series of video lessons addressing topics related to climate change will be made available to pre-registered schools, focusing on pedagogical improvement and updating teachers' knowledge.

During the in-person program, free mini-courses will be offered aimed at training elementary and high school teachers, covering new concepts and applications of meteorology in the school environment. A practical activity involving the construction of meteorological instruments will also be conducted, promoting the integration of theory and practice in the teaching of atmospheric sciences. This activity will involve the participation of graduate students as facilitators, simultaneously contributing to their academic training and teaching experience.

Among the initiatives aimed at popularizing meteorology and strengthening scientific communication, the short course on Efficient Meteorological Communication stands out, designed for students and professionals in the field. The activity aims to improve communication strategies for meteorological and climate information for different audiences, especially in the context of extreme events and risk management.

The event's educational activities will also include the traditional weather forecasting contest, an activity already well-established in student gatherings in southern Brazil and recognized for its broad student participation. This year, the contest will be held nationally for the first time, encouraging the formation of mixed teams and expanding integration among participants from different institutions and regions of the country.

Another educational activity will be the cloud competition, which will have two categories: one for meteorology students and another for students from participating public schools. Guided tours of the laboratories of the Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences (IAG) and the Institute of Energy and Environment (IEE) at the University of São Paulo (USP) will also take place, although spaces are limited.

Throughout the event, the marketing team will conduct several interviews with experts in the field, using more colloquial language, covering the topics discussed during the event. These interviews will be available on the event website.

Target audience

It is estimated that approximately 1,200 people will participate, including:

national and international researchers;
Representatives from meteorological and hydrological services;
Students in technical, undergraduate, and graduate programs in Meteorology, Atmospheric Sciences, and related fields;
Representatives from companies in the technology, instrumentation, remote sensing, energy, agriculture, insurance, infrastructure, water resources, and environmental sectors;
Companies specializing in meteorological instrumentation, digital platforms, numerical modeling, artificial intelligence, and computational tools applied to the meteorological and environmental sectors;
Representatives from federal institutes, operational centers, meteorological services, and climate monitoring agencies;
funding institutions, regulatory agencies and government bodies;
Representatives from ministries, state secretariats, and municipal secretariats related to the areas of Environment, Agriculture, Science, Technology and Innovation, Civil Defense, Cities, Integration and Regional Development, Energy, Tourism, and other strategic sectors impacted by meteorology and extreme weather events;
Representatives from state and municipal civil defense agencies, disaster protection and response, risk management, and adaptation to extreme events.